Lilium 'A Talbain Tail'
by AztecMoogle
Summary: 19 year old Zeke is a new generation Darkstalker. That doesn't know that there is something living inside of him, that could threaten the entire world. It's up to the Talbain's to try and stop this new threat. 3rd story in the "A Talbain Tail" series.
1. Chapter 1: The Girl Next Door

Disclaimer: The name Darkstalkers belongs to Capcom and not me…. I do not own any of their characters but I do own some of the characters in this story.

"Lilium" is, quiet possibly, the last instalment of the "A Talbain Tail." "Talbain, Jonathan Talbain" is this stories predecessor so feel free to go read that story first as it does explain a lot of who the charecters are.

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><p><em>Chapter 1<em>: **The Girl Next Door**

"Dude, I'm serious, she's a Dee!" I told Leon, my friend, as I placed a burrito into a tray then slid it over to a customer.

Leon was leaning on the counter as he listened to me ramble. He was a an average guy; shoulder length black hair, average face, muscular but not to the point that it was excessive. He must have stood about 5'10 but I never got around to asking.

"There is no way she's a Dee, dude." He replied as he opened a salsa packet and ate it the contents inside.

"Yeah she is. I saw her and her brother last night."

The female customer stared at me strangely, as she walked away.

My name is "Zeke" Manuel Itule and a Dee is a term Leon and I, as well as a few of my other friends, use to describe a Darkstalker. A Darkstalker is a person with powers, although most Darkstalkers are half animal. The Darkstalker race has been in hiding for years but an event that took place a decade and a half ago made their existence public, although most of them still hid their identities. A Darkstalker was seen as a race these days, which meant that racist people found a new thing to hate.

I myself am a Darkstalker but I am not an animal; instead I am psychic, not the "I can read your mind" kind but more of the "hey, look at the floating book" kind. My parents died in a house fire when I was six so the Simmons adopted me. My real father was a normal man named Jeremy Itule, while my mother was a Darkstalker named Melissah.

"Itule, your order." The cook said as I turned then took both burritos he had placed in the metallic slide and tossed one to Leon.

"I'm on break!" I announced to no one in particular and placed the second burrito on a plate.

"She's a dog, dude." I said as we sat outside.

"You mean that she's a bitch..." He replied with a mouth full of food.

"No she's a nice girl- oh fuck you..." I said after I understood the reference.

It was a cloudy day, the news called for rain but that never happened. Even if it was to rain, it would stop a few minutes after it started, so nobody got excited when water fell from the sky. A car honked and we both turned to look at a girl who was crossing the street as a car couldn't stop fast enough and slammed into her. The car passed through the girl as she stood in shock as the vehicle screeched to a stop in front of her unscratched body. The driver walked out of the car and talked to the undamaged girl. She was in my class, her name was Mary Manenburg: she too was a Darkstalker.

"I didn't know she was a Dee..." Said Leon as two black hands extended from his back and opened several packets of hot sauce then poured them into the burrito.

Leon F. Emiliano has been my friend since my second year of high school. He too was a Darkstalker. His powers were interesting enough to be weird. He had long black wings that could shift into other forms and even become transparent. He liked changing them into hands which he used frequently to touch girls at a distance.

"Mary? Yeah she's a big time Dee..." I said as people gathered to see what had happened.

"Hmm..." He started and bit into the burrito. "So, tell me why you think your neighbor is a Dee."

"I don't 'think' so, I know she is. I saw her through her brother's window last night." I continued stubbornly.

"Pervert." Said a new voice. I looked around but I didn't see anyone.

"Luna, how long have you been here?" I said as my burrito floated in the air.

Luna A. Simmons was the niece of the family that adopted me. Her parents didn't want a child and the only real reason they didn't have an abortion is because the Simmons agreed to take her from them as Mrs. Simmons was unable to have children.

"Long enough." The voice replied after a bite mark appeared on my burrito. It was placed back in front of me as a hand appeared and took some of my soda. The rest of my cousins body now sat on the table, looking poise and elegant. "Why are you looking though the Talbain's window?"

"Because they're Dee's... Look last night I looked through the window, no I wasn't expecting to see anything so don't look at me like that. I looked through it because I heard howling."

-0-

The fool moon illuminated the dark night as I crept closer towards the neighbors house. I looked up at the second story window that was across my house.

"What are you guys doing?" A woman said but nobody answered.

I looked at the garden hose as it shook for a second then unwrapped itself. I took hold of it which made it droop for a second before straightening and lifting me off the ground. I looked through the window and into the dark room that belonged to the son.

It took a few seconds for my vision to adjust to the dimly lit room. The room was a typical teenage boy's room; random clothing tossed carelessly into the ground, bed was undone victoria secret calendar on the back of the door so the mother wouldn't see it.

I looked towards the room's second window and saw the teenage neighbors sitting on the dresser while looking out of the window towards the moon. It took me a few seconds to notice that something was off: both the male and female neighbors sat on all fours. The guy was on the left as he wore some camo shorts and a muscle shirt. He was 17, two years younger than me. We talked once in a while but he mostly kept to himself. Brown fur slowly emerged to cover his entire body. A long and furry muzzle extended from his face as his eyes shifted to have more of a canine appearance.

His sister sat in the same position to his right; she wore a sleeping shirt and some stripped panties with one sock on. But what really caught my attention was the brown wolf tails coming out of their lower backs and the matching wolf ears coming out of their heads. Their hands and feet were covered in brown fur with paws that replaced the regular human limbs.

"Michael, Helena! Oh shit not again, guys snap out of it!" Their mother said as she clapped her hands then shook them but neither responded as they simply stared at the moon.

A dog howled in the distance which made the pair lift their heads in unison and respond in a similar manner. The mother covered her ears as the pairs howl was defining.

A cloud started covering the moon and the pair slowly looked around.

"Mom... What's going- whoa!" Started the girl as she fell backwards into her brother's bed.

Her brother snickered as he turned away from the window and stretched while he stood on all fours.

"You guys need to bloody stop doing that!" Complained their mother with relief in her face.

"'Bloody'?" Asked the boy as he moved to the side of the bed and sat down quickly as his sister tried rolling out of the way but was stopped when he sat on her back.

"Hey!" She protested as she tried to wiggle herself free.

"You're father says it, I guess it rubbed off on me..." The mother replied as she sat on the bed. She pulled on the boy's wolf ear which made him flinch then stand up slightly so his sister could get away, "Living with dogs is making me age horribly..." She continued.

"Sorry mom..." started the girl as she sat up and moved closer to the mother then hugged her. "We couldn't help it this time."

"You guys scare me when you do that." Said the mother as she kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Why do you stare at the moon like that?"

"It's a wolf thing..." Continued the daughter as her wolf ears perked up and her tail started wagging playfully. "Dad's home!" She yelled and jumped off the bed and ran out of the room on all fours.

A car drove by slowly and parked in the house's driveway. A man walked out then looked at the moon as blue, black and white fur quickly covered his body. He untucked his shirt with a werewolf claw then sniffed and smiled with his muzzled face.

I let the garden hose fall as the father didn't make it near the door when the daughter jumped out of a second story window and into her father's arms. He looked at her strangely then kissed her forehead but didn't say anything. He then tucked her under his arm and unlocked the door then walked inside.

I made my way back into my house.

-0-

"Liar!" Exclaimed Leon as he finished his burrito.

"Helena and Michael are not dogs!" Said my cousin.

"I don't know their names, but yes they are!"

"How do you not know their names? You've lived next to them for 13 years..."

"I don't know...I know them as 'the girl with the really nice booty' and 'that one guy'." I replied then got a fist pound from Leon and a slap upside the head from Luna.

The clock hit four o'clock and my I smiled as my shift was officially over. We all walked home as we always did. We walked through the mall as Luna had to pass by paying her phone bill at one of the kiosks.

"Hi, do you want to try one of our samples?" A girl said as she held a tray with small plastic cups that contained half a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it.

The girl was nicely built and stood about two inches shorter than me. The uncountable freckles on her face and her painted black hair with copper/red roots on her head exposed her for the ginger that she was. Her name tag read Kassie but I was too busy checking out the rest of her to remember the name.

"Sure" I replied and took one. Leon stepped forward and took one for himself.

"You should take one for your girlfriend." The ginger girl said and nodded over to Luna.

"Oh...she's not my girlfriend." I said and took a second sample.

"Too bad... You two looked cute together." The ginger said and walked off.

"I think that you just got hit on." Leon said as the girl walked away.

"No he didn't." The ginger girl said and turned her head slightly to smile at us.

"How did she..." I asked and stared at Leon who shrugged.

It was now around five in the afternoon so it was still day out when we left the mall. Leon lived down the street so he took off first; Luna decided to nag me the rest of the way.

She told me the names of our neighbors again. I made sure to pay attention this time, of only to shut her up.

The father was named Jonathan. The mother was Christine. The daughter was Helena and the son was Michael.

We passed the neighbor's house. Christine and Helena were planting some flowers under their kitchen window as Jonathan and Michael were preoccupied under the hood of one of their cars.

"Hi, Mrs. Talbain! Hi, Helena!" Yelled my cousin and waved.

I stared at Helena as I walked past. Tried my best to not stare at her but I couldn't help it. I was looking for anything that looked like it might belong to a wolf. She looked at me a few times out of the corner of her eye but she never met my gaze so I finally gave up and turned around right before I hit a tree then sighed and walked inside of my house.

Luna coughed loudly when she noticed me peek through the window at Luna so I walked over and sat on the couch to watch some TV.

-0-

Someone knocked on the door about an hour later. I stood up from the couch, walked over and looked through the curtain. It was the neighbor chick, Helena. I passed my hand through my hair, adjusted my shirt and buckled my pants as she knocked again before I opened the door.

"Hey, um..." She started.

"Zeke..." I informed her.

"Hi!" She continued as she bounced a little and I tried my best not to look down at her chest. "I...um...mom wanted to know if you guys wanted to come to our cook out this weekend."

"Only if you're going to be there..." I replied with a simple, non forward, flirt.

"Well it is my house." She replied and chuckled.

"Yeah, cool." I said.

"See you there!" She replied then waved goodbye as she started walking off.

"Hey...can I ask you something?" I started and she turned back around.

"Sure!" She replied hopefully.

"Are you a...I mean...have you heard of...do you um...uh...nice weather, huh?" I mumbled as I looked like an idiot.

She looked back at me and raised an eyebrow. "Y-yeah...beautiful." She said and walked away.

I made a mental note to kick my own ass later as she turned and walked away.


	2. Chapter 2: Number 36

_Chapter 2_: **Number 36**

I opened the door of the building that housed my classroom, at the end of the hall. I took off into a full sprint as my watch read that I was sixteen seconds away from being late for class. I moved left and right as I narrowly avoided several students that stared at me as I passed by. A door opened to my right and I barely had enough time to throw myself to the left to dodge it then quickly moved to the right as I almost ran into a couple of girls.

"Sorry!" I said, looking back at their surprised expressions.

A man stood outside of the classroom at the end of the hall. He had his hand on the door as I made my way closer while slowly counting down.

"Five...Four...Three...Itule, you're lucky that I'm in a good mood today." He said and let me into the class.

"Thanks, Mr. Jefferson." I said as I walked inside and took my seat next to Leon who shoved me playfully, when I sat down.

Mr. Jefferson closed the door and started walking towards his desk but looked back when a girl tapped on the glass that was in the door.

"Please let me in, I can't miss the test!" She said, bouncing up and down desperately.

"The doors are closed Ms. Manenburg, not that it will stop you, take your seat." He said and turned towards his desk again.

Mary flinched then walked through the door and adjusted her books as she stood in front of the classroom, everyone stared at her as only a few people knew that she was a Darkstalker. She smiled shyly and took a seat next to me.

I smiled at her and she returned the jester.

"The final starts in five minutes please have everything off of your desk at that time." Mr. Jefferson said as he sat down and threw his legs on the desk then started playing a game on his cell phone.

-0-

I finished the exam early so I waited outside of the classroom for Leon. The hall was empty except for a couple that were making out at the end of the hall. My cell phone vibrated in my pocked which made me jump.

"What's 47?" Leon asked through the message.

"Marie Antoinette." I replied and closed my cell phone.

"Who?" He asked a few seconds later.

"You don't pay attention do you?" I replied.

My cell phone vibrated again. I smiled and expected some witty response from Leon but stared when the message simply said: "Hi."

"Hey...who's this?" I said when I didn't recognize the number.

I didn't receive any messages for a few minutes so I sighed and put my cell phone back in my pocket.

I stood in the hall for what felt like an hour before I received another message.

"73?" Leon asked.

"Vivaldi." I wrote and closed it.

"Who?"

I started typing something witty when I received another message from the strange number.

"Helena."

I couldn't help but smile when I replied the message. "Helena. The neighbor chick, right?"

I hit the send button then quickly tried to cancel the message. I probably could have worded that differently but the message was sent either way.

A minute or two passed before I received a reply.

"Yeah, so I was thinking that you could buy me lunch or something... I need to talk to you, like right now. I'm in the cafeteria."

"Okay." I replied and headed out of the building.

I entered the cafeteria about five minutes later. I didn't tell Leon where I was going, he would probably meet me by the car as I was his ride home.

The cafeteria was cozy with a combination of tables, stools and even a small lounge area. The walls were an off peach color, with several inspirational posters here and there.

"He who dares, wins!" A poster read. "If you chase after two feathers you'll catch none." "Rome wasn't build in a day or was it? Come to the library to find out."

Several students sat on the several different chairs having several different conversations, nobody looked at me twice as I walked in.

I looked around and saw Helena sitting, crossed legged, on the table at the corner, behind a accented wall. She wore some cargo shorts and a shirt that had a large white hen with a red tie on it, I didn't understand what it meant.

Her brother stood up when he saw me walk in and threw his backpack over his shoulder and nodded me a goodbye. Helena got off the table and sat on the chair that her brother got up from.

"Hey," I said after I sat down opposite her.

"Hi," she replied with a smiled, her teeth were a perfect white which actually intimidated me for some reason.

Helena Talbain stood at about 5'7". She was a nicely shaped girl, pretty enough face and bleach blond hair. Her slender hands had two different bands on them: her right arm had a pink plastic band that read "Save a pair!" along with the breast cancer logo. While her left arm had an armlet made out of different colored plastic beads.

"So what's going on?" I asked.

"I need to talk to you, but first lunch!" She said.

-0-

"I don't know how to say this so I'll just say it," Helena started as she finished her soda then dumped the cup into a trash can as I walked her to her car. "I know you saw my brother and me the other night."

I flinched "What?" I muttered and looked at her.

She cocked her head and kept walking.

"So are you guys-" I started.

"Hold this for me." She started as she took her shoes off and handed them to me. "Are we what? Darkstalkers? Yes we are" She continued and wrapped her arms around mine.

I tried my best not to flinch or do any awkward motions as her hands now had brown fur on them and had shifted to a larger sized paw.

A pair of wolf ears appeared from the top of her head as her face shifted slightly which made her resemble a wolf. A brown chocker appeared around her neck. Her straight bleach blond hair now changed to a wavy caramel brown. Something bulged from inside of her shirt then wiggled itself free as a tail now hung loosely from Helena's lower back. She now stood on the tip of her wolf pawed feet, her way of standing looked awkward but she seemed to be used to it.

"You were bound to find out so I wanted to be the one to tell you." Helena said as we made our way into a building.

A couple stared at us as we passed by: The man smiled at us while the woman shifted uneasily.

Darkstalkers were accepted by the general population but some people still thought of us as weird, I didn't blame them. We made our way into the office building so we wouldn't have to walk around and add another three minutes to the walk, I didn't mind but her mother was already waiting for her.

We walked outside then towards the car that her mother and brother sat in. Her mother looked surprised, I wasn't sure if it was because she saw Helena in her wolf form or because of the way she held on to me.

"Saturday, when you come over. My family will be there... Most of them are Darkstalkers so would you not freak out?"

We stopped next to the car and I made the back door open by itself, "I could live with that."

"You're a Darkstalker too?" She asked and I simply smiled back.

Helena stared at me then smiled back as we stood on the side of the car; she leaned closer then jerked back as her brother had pulled on her tail.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked as she pulled her tail free and looked at her brother then back at me. "I'll see you later." She grunted and got inside of the car.

"Zeke, could you come over after school so we could talk." Christine, the mother, said as she put the car in gear and took off.

I waved goodbye then heard wings flap on top of me. I looked up and saw Leon hovering over me.

"Holy shit, dude...you weren't playing." He said as he landed and walked up to me.

"How long have you been there?" I asked.

"A minute or two, I think she likes you." He replied.

"You think?" I replied sarcastically.

My phone vibrated softly in my pocket and I pulled it out. Luna, my cousin, had sent me a message.

"So, um... I might have or might not have given your phone number to Helena."

I smiled then showed the message to Leon.

"'Might have'?" He said sarcastically. "Hey is she seeing anyone?"

"You don't want her..." I said. "She'll stalk you like there's no tomorrow. She can become invisible, remember..."

-0-

The library must have had about three dozen aisles on each side of the reading hall. I looked around then noticed a man sitting at the end of the long table in the center as he read a purple book in silence as I approached him. He looked at me through the corner of his eyes then grunted and stood up and disappeared into the nearest row of books.

I dismissed the man as being insane or something and kept looking around for someone else. A little girl stared at me from one of the shelves as I passed by. I stopped to look at her and she stepped back into the shadows. I jumped when a book dropped, a couple dozen feet to my left. The end of a skirt could be seen as she had bent down to pick up the book she had dropped.

It took me forever to reach the row that I saw the girl in but she had already moved on to a different row. I walked down the rows of books, looking for the girl or anyone that would allow them self to be seen.

"Hello?" I said loudly as movement could be heard from a few rows down from me.

I quickened my pace as I kept looking down the rows but I didn't see anyone. I walked faster until I actually hit the wall at the other end of the library.

"Son of a bitch..." I let out as I held the side of my head.

"Shhhhhh!" Someone whispered.

I turned around and the girl in the skirt looked at me with her hands full of books. She stared at me then walked into the nearest row.

She was a little older than I was. Long black hair over a petite face. She had a name tag but I couldn't make out the name.

"Hello? Where am I?" I asked.

"Aren't the books a big enough hint?" She replied but didn't turn as she put a book with a purple spine away. Her voice was low and sarcastic.

I walked closer but couldn't help noticing the book she had just put away.

I pulled the purple book from the shelf and examined its spine, it didn't have any writing or symbols or anything that would identify what the book was about. That fact intrigued me so I opened it with slight caution while the girl put more books away and stared at me disdainfully.

I turned the pages but nothing was written on them. I scowled and looked up at the girl who quickly turned away from me and kept placing other books back into the shelf. I kept turning the pages on the books but there wasn't anything in any of them, other than page numbers.

"What the hell?" I let out.

The girl hushed me again. "Keep your voice down, people are reading."

I stared at her for a second then looked around at all the people that now preoccupied every seat in the library. They all kept their heads down as they read the same nameless book with the purple cover. They all whispered incoherently to themselves as if they were reading the invisible words on the pages.

A chill ran down my spine as I looked around, my heart skipped a beat when everyone turned their page at the same time. "The fuc-"

"Please keep your voice down or I'll have to kick you out." The girl said as she walked up to me and looked at the book for a second then back up at me. "Understood, Ezekiel?"

I didn't reply, I couldn't. I simply stared at the girl's ruby red lips and beautiful blue eyes.

I stared back then down to the book. The pages now had several names written on them. The names weren't in any order, that I could see. I stared the name Ezekiel that was highlighted in, what looked like, dried blood while the page number was circled in blue nail polish: page 36.

The book shifted in my hands and closed which made me cry out slightly then drop it.

Everybody in the library stopped reading and looked at me. I was frightened when I noticed the people's faces, or better said: lack of. Their faceless heads stared in my direction. The heads slightly shifted as if the figures were changing expressions in unison. They all looked around at each other as whispers began that grew louder and louder until they all stopped, stood up and focused on me again.

"Number 36..." they all said in unison then repeated the same thing over each other with gradually increasing voices that never sounded like anything more than a whisper.

"You're making too much noise; I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The girl said and shoved me lightly then pointed behind me.

-0-

I opened my eyes and stared at my poster of a game I pre ordered a month ago. The aquarium in my room gave out a dim blue light as I stood up and rubbed my eyes slowly.

"It was only a dream..." I whispered and lay back down.

My alarm clock read 4:13 am so I rolled over and tried going back to sleep and secretly hoped that I could dream about the library girl again.

"Number 36?" I whispered and closed my eyes then drifted back to sleep.

-0-

I opened my eyes as I heard tapping on glass. My bed was pushed against the wall with the only window, so I stood up and looked outside.

Michael stood on the small railing of the window and nodded at me when he noticed that I was up.

"Open up." He said and jumped down.

Michael and I hung out a little more after his sister pretty much announced that we were going out. We weren't best of buds but at least we were in first name bases.

I got back home around midnight, last night, as I took Helena to the movies and to dinner. My parents didn't mind too much but did say that I was grounded if they were grandparents sometime soon.

I felt like Helena was trying to rush me into a relationship but then again, I haven't had a girlfriend in four years so maybe I was just over thinking this.

I opened the window and looked down at the yard that was covered in five inches of snow which showed where Michael had jumped over the back fence and made his way to where he was. A second mark was left on the snow where the pink and black backpack, that Michael held with both of his hands, had been dragged to where it was now.

"Move out of the way, she weighs like three thousand pounds!" He said and swung the backpack in his arms to gain momentum.

He finally tossed the backpack and it made its way in through my window and landed on my bed then bounced off and hit the floor with a loud thud that was followed by an "ow!"

I looked at the backpack then out of the window where Michael smiled back at me.

"Don't make me an uncle! I'll be back in an hour for the package..." He said and walked off.

I looked back at the backpack which started to move slightly which made me hesitate then slowly unzip it then jumped back when Helena's head popped out of the bag.

She gasped for air then smiled when she saw me.

"What the hell?" I whispered.

"Dad grounded me for coming home late, last night, but I had to see you..." She started and pulled an arm free then used it to pull out her hair then place it over the backpack.

"Zeke, are you okay? What was that?" My father asked as he and my mother lightly tapped on my door.

"We heard something heavy fall!"

"I'm good! I just fell out of bed again!" I said as I heard Helena growl softly after she was called heavy again.

"We're coming in!" My father announced.

"Hold on! I'm not dressed yet." I said as I looked at Helena who tried to free herself from the backpack. "Sorry about this..." I said and pushed her head back into the backpack, followed by her arm.

I closed the backpack as she made awkward noises in protest; I then noticed that her hair was still sticking out of the backpack.

I slid the backpack under the bed and lowered the covers to conceal what was underneath then quickly kicked the remaining hair to where it wouldn't be seen as the door opened.

My parents walked inside and looked around.

"Are you okay?" my father asked again as I walked into my closet and put some shorts on. "Did you just get up?"

"No..." I lied "I just thought I heard something outside and leaned over my bed to see then fell off when I didn't see anything."

"You were trying to look at the neighbor girl in the shower again?" My mother asked as she smiled.

"Mom!" I let out as I felt myself glow red.

"Or were you trying to see her mother?" My father continued.

Helena moved slightly inside of her backpack so I moved and sat directly on top of where she was.

My father laughed and started to walk out. "Anyway, get dressed and come down for lunch." He said and closed the door.

I sighed and pulled the backpack out then forced it onto my bed.

"And bring Helena down with you; she can't be too comfortable in that thing!" My mother said from the other side of the door.

It took about five minutes to remove Helena from the backpack with only minimal swearing and some lost hair.

She looked at the backpack sadly as strains of her bleach blond hair were still attached to its zipper.

She stretched and then threw her hands around me. "I missed you!" She said and kissed my cheek.

I wanted to reply with something like, "It's only been a few hours..." but decided against it.

She wore some purple sweat pants and matching sleeping top. Nothing fancy, really, but I guess that she wasn't really planning on going out.

"I've missed you too." I replied. "How did you fit inside of that thing?"

"It wasn't easy..." She replied as she looked back at the bag, I didn't tell her about my hard-on.

-0-

My mother and cousin passed plates around that had rice, meat and potatoes on them. We all sat around the table and ate as my parents talked about my father's work.

"Zeke, can you get me a cup?" My father asked.

I looked at the cupboard and the door swung open. A cup floated away from cabinet and landed on the table, in front of my father.

"Thanks," He started as he poured some soda. "I was wondering if you told Helena about your ability."

I stared back at him then at Helena who stared at me from the corner of her eyes as she lifted a potato into her mouth.

"I wish we could trade powers, I want to move stuff with my mind..." Luna protested.

"Invisibility could be helpful." I replied.

"Yeah like for watching your neighbors in the shower." Luna replied and lifted a potato with her fork. The potato flew off the fork and hit her on the forehead. "Hey!"

I didn't look to see Helena's reaction.

"Luna, honey, stop it... He didn't really do that, we just said it because we knew that he was hiding her under the bed." My mother informed us. I didn't say anything as they didn't know that I actually had looked through their windows a few times.

"So who's coming to the cookout tonight, Helena?" My father asked.

Helena mentioned several names; I had no idea who most of them were, friends and family maybe. She also told us that most of them were going to be some sort of animal and that she told her parents about Luna and me but she didn't know about my mother's ability to look through objects.

-0-

"Why do I have to wear a tie?" I asked as my mother folded a black and white tie around my neck with practiced precision.

"You want to look nice, don't you?" My mother replied.

"I look like a fool!" I protested.

Luna walked down the stairs in her light gray winter dress with slightly darker stockings.

"Zeke, you look like a fool." She said as shook her head to rearrange her hair.

"Okay, that's it!" I said as tried breaking away from my mother.

She smacked her lips and continued tying the tie. "You look fine, Luna stop agreeing with your cousin."

"Tada!" Announced my father as he stood by the stairs in his blue and white striped shirt, silver tie and black kakis pants.

Ten minutes, and three "how do I look" questions later, we all made our way to the neighbors house. The ground still had some patches of snow here and there.

Luna kept leaning on me for support as she wasn't used to walking in heels anymore.

My father knocked on the door and Mr. Talbain answered. He wore a white dressing shirt and a loosened tie as he smiled and shook my father's hand.

We all walked in after a couple of hugs and handshakes.

"Good to see you guys, again." Said Jonathan, Helena's father.

We all made our way in and Helena smiled and waved me over.

I excused myself and passed a pair of twins who were playing video games in the living room. It took me a second to notice that they both had animal ears on top of their heads that looked a lot like the ears that you would find on a white tiger's head.

"You came!" Helena said as I made my way to her. She threw her arms around me then pulled me by the hand to a table outside.

She wore an elegant but simple dress but no shoes, which would have seemed odd but her wolf pawed feet wouldn't have been able to fit in anything. Both of her wolf ears had a single hanging earring pierced into their tip. Her pawed hands showed some trimmed down claws that had been painted a light pink color.

"Guy's this is my boyfriend, Zeke." She said to a group of girls who all stopped chattering and stared at me.

All the girls smiled and looked me over. Helena introduced me to each one.

"Since when am I your boyfriend?" I whispered in her wolf ear. I was still getting used to doing that.

"Just play along..." She replied.

All the girls had interesting characteristics:

Iris, Helena's cousin, had ears and and a tail like a calico cat; she shook my hand with her large cat pawed hand. Her animal parts had a very interesting black and orange texture. She wore glasses, which slightly magnified her dark orange eyes, and a light brown blouse with a blue jeans skirt and black stockings. Her tail hung loosely from her lower back.

Joanne had white tiger ears coming out of her blazing red hair. Her ears had several, but simple, piercings on them. Her silver white eyes stared into mine as she shook my hand. She wore a frilly dress with high heels. Her skin was slightly darker than the other girls, and she spoke with a very slight accent.

Desiree was Joanne's sister and also had similar looking ears but without all the piercings. She wore some dress pants and a blouse. Her tail was up in the air as if to show off the large bell that was attached to the tip, it rung whenever she moved it too quickly.

Lana didn't have any animal parts; instead she had large pearl white wings coming out of her back. Her wings flapped every now and then which made the other girls' hair wave.

Senna also had white tiger ears but she was Joanne and Desiree's cousin. She looked poise as her tail sat upright and her ears stood straight up in her head. She wore a simple dress with little to no elegance. The word "tomboy" came to mind.

"So..." started Desiree, "how long have you guys been going out?"

All the girls made interested noises.

"Umm I can't remember, how long have we been going out Helena?" I said sarcastically.

"Two years now, remember?" She replied quickly as she lightly dug her claws into my back.

"I guess I forgot," I said. "It feels like I met you last week.

"Leave it to a guy to forget something as important as that." Senna said.

"Zeke!" Michael said as he ran at me on all fours then stood up and butted my fist. I was happy to see him for the first time in my life. "Come meet the guys, excuse us ladies...and Helena."

Helena cocked a hip and stuck her tongue out at her brother.

Michael took me to a far wall where a bunch of guys stood. They all were dressed in a semi formal manner.

"Sup" they all said one after another.

The group included two brothers named Sam and Manuel, Sam was the only one, of the two, with werewolf parts. Three white tigers named Aiden, Felix and Wes. Two humans named Phil and Keith were also in the group.

"So did she tell the girls that you were her boyfriend yet?" Michael asked.

I stared back and smiled, "Yeah."

"That sounds about right... Most of the other girls have a guy, she just didn't want to be left out." Michael replied.

"So, she's just using me?" I asked

"Probably not," started Keith. "Girls just strive to be better than each other so they make stuff up that aren't always true."

"Yeah...plus she isn't like that." Michael added.

The night moved on with Helena introducing me to several of the adults which included her parents, Jonathan and Christine Talbain. Jonathan was a werewolf and nicely built. His blue, black and white fur had some punch spilled on it. Christine was a human, she was a happy woman but I've seen what happened when she gets mad. Their children included both Helena and Michael.

Richard and Aye Oblivion were family friends. Richard was a white tiger that was stuffed into a muscle shirt under an unbuttoned dress shirt. He had darker skin and spoke with a southern accent. Aye wasn't an animal but had the ability to teleport items and she seemed to be part Asian. Their children included Joanna, Aiden, Desiree and the twins I saw when I walked in, Jimmy and Poe.

Ray and Alexandria Ayalando were also family friends. Ray was a regular human and was actually the one that set up the event. He had a military background which showed in the way he stood and presented himself. Alexandria was Richard's younger sister as well as a white tiger Darkstalker. She was an average sized woman with a two piercings in her right tiger ear and one on the left. Their children included Felix and Senna.

Ben and Samantha Mepp were also family friends and both had wings coming out of their backs. Ben's wings were fully transparent, with only the outlines in view while Samantha's wings were supposed to change color and texture but they were bright silver at the moment. Their children was Keith, Lana and Phil.

I greeted and introduced myself to each one of them as Helena's boyfriend, even though that wasn't true.

Helena and I sat on the couch, 40 minutes later.

"So, I was thinking..." Helena started. Her wolf ears were pressed up against her head while her tail waved back and forth every now and then.

"That I should ask you to be my girlfriend?" I continued.

"How did you..."

"Psychic..."

"I thought you couldn't read minds."

"I could read yours, so would you be my girlfriend, even though we've only been dating for like a week."

She smiled and nodded, I took the opportunity to kiss her quickly.

The door bell rang again and Mr. Talbain literally ran to the door on all fours. He opened it and a couple stood there.

"You're late!" Mr. Talbain practically yelled.

"Hey, I had to make an entrance." The man replied as they side hugged each other. He pulled out a bottle of win. "Do you guys have enough booze?"

"Why do you always bring booze to everything?"

"I don't know, tradition maybe..."

A woman appeared and Mr. Talbain hugged her for a minute or two.

Helena told me who they were. The man was her uncle named Jeffrey Gonzales. Apparently he and Mr. Talbain had been friends for years and years. The woman was her aunt, Lilian Gonzales. She was a cat woman with extremely long brown wavy hair and a very curvy body; Helena smacked me upside my head, with her tail, when she caught me staring. Helena went on to tell me that they went to Europe for about a year along with her grandparents.

"How have you been, Dog?" She asked as she still held her brother.

"I'm good, Cat...I've missed you." Mr. Talbain replied.

"Hey look its Cat and Mexican!" Yelled Alexandria who moved as quickly as drunk tiger-woman in heels could.

"Alie! Oh God girl, you're drunk. Look at you!" Mrs. Gonzales replied.

"I'm not drunk!" Alexandria practically yelled and stumbled backwards where Ray caught her. "Okay...maybe just a little"

"Guess who we brought?" Jeff said after a few minutes.

"Six more kids and seven new cousins?" Mr. Talbain replied and his sister slapped him in the arm with her large cat paw.

"Well actually it's..." He started and opened the door.

An older couple stood at the door. The man wore a black dress shirt. He stood on his werewolf form that looked a lot like Mr. Talbain's. He moved closer and gave Helena's father and aunt a hug. The woman had extremely long blue and gray hair; the cat woman held a small purse in her hand as she also gave Mr. Talbain and Mrs. Gonzales a hug. Helena informed me that they were her grandparents. They had to be in their mid 60's now but neither of then looked a day over 40.

The night slowly ended with stories of the past; interesting as they were, I did have to go to work in the morning so I took off a little before 3am.

I thought of the girl in my dreams as I walked inside of my room and kicked my shoes off, one of which hit the ceiling fan and made one of its blades fall off and land on my cousin's cat that had found its way into my bed.

"Sorry, Mr. Patches!" I said as the cat slammed into the hall as he couldn't run away fast enough.


	3. Chapter 3: Dream Girl

_Chapter 3_: **Dream Girl**

"Why do you keep staring at me?"

"What?" I asked.

"You keep staring at me...why?"

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"Um...who are you?"

"Excuse me..." A little girl said as she pulled on my work shirt shyly.

I snapped back into reality and looked down at the little girl.

"Can I have some quarters?" She asked as she held a dollar in my direction.

I smiled and took the girls dollar then handed over four quarters.

"Thanks!" She mumbled and walked off towards the candy machine.

"Daydreaming again, Itule?" My boss asked as he leaned on the counter next to me. Technically he was the boss' son, but he was in charge when nobody else was around. He couldn't be much older than me, a year or two at the most.

"Yeah... Party last night..." I replied yawning.

"A Party? I didn't know Darkstalkers liked to party..."

"Yeah we also like to place racist lawsuits."

"You're funny! So how messed up did you get?"

"Not that kind of party, my girlfriend's parents had a reunion."

"Since when do you have a girlfriend?"

"About fifteen hours now."

He stared at me blankly.

"What do you want Ryan?" I asked.

"I need you to help train the new girl." He replied.

"Is she hot?"

"What do you care? You already have a girl."

"Just because i'm taken, don't mean that i can't look at the menu."

"Yeah, well there's only one item on the menu for you and she just walked in through the door." He tapped me on the arm and signaled to Helena who walked into the restaurant.

"Zeke!" Helena said as she walked up to me.

I kissed her quickly as Ryan walked towards the back and pretended to have forgotten about the "no visitors" rule.

"I brought you lunch." She continued as she placed a small brown paper bag on the counter.

"Thanks," I said and took the bag.

"Do you get a break soon?" She asked as her brother walked in smiling and laughing as he held the door open for my cousin.

"I actually don't...I already took it." I replied weakly.

Ryan walked closer and shoved me out of the way, "The lady was nice enough to bring you food, the least you could do is go and have lunch with her." He smiled at Helena.

"Thank you, sir." Helena said cheerfully.

"You're welcomed, Miss."

"Hi Ryan!" My cousin said as she walked passed.

"Looking good, Luna!" Ryan replied.

"Stop flirting with my cousin... SIR." I said and took a few cups then walked to join Helena.

"He seems nice." Helena said as we moved to a table in the back.

"Yeah, he's a cool guy." I replied.

We all talked and ate and drank for almost half an hour.

Helena and Luna walked to the bathroom as Michael and I went for refills.

"Helena really likes you." Michael said as he poured himself a mixture of three sodas.

"I can see that?" I replied.

We sat back on our table when a girl walked in. She wore a similar uniform as mine, which meant that she worked here. I've never seen her before but she somehow looked familiar.

Michael caught me staring then looked back at the girl.

Michael said something but I wasn't listening. "Hey, Zeke!"

"What?" I replied as I looked back at him.

"Do you know her?"

"I don't know..."

"Hey my sister's coming. She'd scratch your eyes out if she caught you staring at another girl."

I chuckled, "Funny."

"Yeah, funny."

"Sorry about that." Luna said as she sat back down.

"It's cool," Michael said and kicked me slightly when he caught me staring at the girl again.

"What? Yeah, you look nice." I said and Luna stared at me.

"We'd better let you get back to work, Zeke. See you later." Helena said and kissed me again then took off with my cousin and her brother.

"Yeah, bye." I said as I couldn't stop staring at the girl.

She was a short girl, probably around 5'3". Her short blond hair dangled slightly as she looked over the counter. She was skinny with nothing too interesting about her, other than her almond shaped eyes and the nagging feeling that I've seen her.

"Excuse me!" She said as she bounced and waved at Ryan, who was busy doing something in the back. "I'm Denise, the new employee. I'm supposed to talk to Mr. Advent."

"Oh, hey." Ryan started and walked up to the counter. "He is actually not here at the moment, I'm his son, Ryan." He shook her hand politely.

"Oh okay, so I can speak to you Mr.-" Denise started but Ryan cut her off.

"Please don't call me Mr. or sir... I'm only 22."

"Sorry..."

"Don't be, hey Itule you taking a nap there?"

"I was..." I replied smiling then stood up.

Denise looked back at me then waved politely. That's when I recognized her: she looked a lot like the girl in my dream, except that she was shorter and a little contrite.

"Denise, this is Itule, he is going to be showing you around." Ryan said as he gestured towards me with his right hand.

"Hey Itule, I'm Denise." She started and extended her hand to me.

I shook it slightly. "Cool but call me Zeke, these guys can't seem to remember my first name."

"Because Itule sounds exotic, Italian maybe... Are you Italian?" Ryan asked curiously.

I simply shrugged.

-0-

I lay on my bed as I thought about the new girl.

"Denise... Why does she look like that girl?" I whispered to myself. "Is it her? She looks kind of like her..."

"What girl?" A voice said from the door opening of my room.

I sighed when Luna appeared as she walked closer to my bed. She had her sleeping attire on, nothing fancy just some shorts and a sleeveless shirt. She looked at me curiously as she brushed her teeth.

"You'd make the perfect mistress, you know." I said in an annoyed tone.

"Anyway, what girl are you talking about? Helena?" She continued brushing her teeth.

"I've been having these weird dreams" I started.

"Are they recurring?"

"Not the dreams but the things in the dreams keep popping up: faceless people, there's always 26 of them...and this book...a purple book with my name written and circled in dried blood. Oh and the number 36, the book has my name in the 36th page. I've no idea what that means."

"Ezekiel 36:26: Something...something, new heart. Something...something...spirit." She replied as she crawled over me and spat toothpaste out of the second story window.

"What are you talking about?" I asked her.

"Can you at least pretend that you have read the bible I gave you, instead of using it to cover your porn?" She said as she lay on the bed next to me and reached under the covers then pulled out my bible, along with two adult anime magazine that I've never told anyone about.

"You're lucky I don't tell aunt and uncle about these, here look...Ezekiel 36:26." She said as she looked through the book and placed it in my lap then opened one of my magazines.

I stared at the page that had Ezekiel 36:26 on it. It read: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

"Dude why are you with Helena if you like catgirls this much? Why don't you try getting with one of her cousins, that Iris girl is a cat... You could have her dress up like this." Luna said as she held the magazine sideways and stared at the poster that folded out.

"Shut up! I thought girls hated porn." I said and took the magazine from her.

"We do...but some of it makes me...you know..." She said shyly.

"Ew! Ew! Too much info, get out!" I said as I shoved her out of my bed.

"Ow, my ass!"

-0-

I sat up in the dark room then looked around at the

darkness. My vision tried adjusting but I couldn't even make out my hands that I held in front of me. "Hello?" I yelled but all I heard was the sound of my voice echoing.

I heard someone in heels approach me slowly, I listened for any indication that might tell me where the footsteps were coming from but the echoes made it difficult. The footsteps stopped and the lights flashed on in a second. I instinctively lifted my arm to shield my eyes from the bright light as I slowly counted the 26 light bulbs that hung from the ceiling.

I looked around and noticed hundreds of purple hanging scrolls on the walls; each had a random name on it. I didn't have to count them to know that the name Ezekiel was on the 36th scroll from the left.

"You're still not awake..." A voice said.

I turned and saw the woman, which I kept dreaming of, standing in front of me. I jumped slightly as I didn't expect to see her there.

"You need to wake up." She continued.

"I know, I'm dreaming..." I said as she lifted herself onto the air and sat down on an imaginary chair. She had a white and purple flower in her hair, an elegant thing that was was highlighted by her long black hair.

"Yes you are, but not in the way you think."

"What?"

"You either need to wake up or stop coming here."

"How did I get here?"

She raised her eyebrow. "You really don't know, maybe you are awoken."

"What are you talking about?"

"Or maybe not."

"I want some answers: who are you?"

"I am-" she started but lightning fell nearby so I couldn't hear.

"What?"

"Why do I try? You're probably not even the right person."

Ai's face burned red as large black leathery wings extended from her back. Claws appeared on the end of the wings.

"Whoa chill, let's talk about this!" I said as I tried to sound reasonable as the claws on her left wings sharpened and flew towards me.

I moved aside as she slashed at me over and over again.

"You've never lied to us, why are you doing it now? You said you'd come back!" She yelled and slashed once more and I felt a tearing sensation on my arm.

I awoke as I felt something scratching my right arm, I shook my hand violently and Mr. Patches retracted his claws and hissed at me then ran out of the door when I threw my pillow at him.

"Stupid cat!" I said as I looked at the clock, it was 4:11am. "Hmm... What was her name again?"

-0-

"Here you are, sir." I said as I handed the tray with three burritos over to the large man.

The man grunted and took the burritos but let the tray drop then walked away.

"Dick..." I mumbled and put the tray back.

"Zeke, HELP!" Yelled Denise as horchata poured out of the machine that overflowed from the cup under the nozzle.

I moved over and turned the knob on the nozzle and forced it close. "Yeah it does that sometimes." I handed her some napkins which she took and wiped the drink from her shirt and pants.

"Thanks. Awe, I just bought these shoes..." She complained as she stepped sideways but slipped into my arms.

I noticed Mr. Advent staring at me so quickly helped Denise to her feet as Mr. Advent handed me a mop so I could clean the mess.

"Don't let Sarah see you doing that," Mr. Advent whispered in my ear. "She likes to start rumors."

I looked at the back and Sarah, the 19 year old gossip machine, stopped staring and continued wrapping some food. I nodded my thanks to Mr. Advent and mopped the mess.

"I'm sorry." Denise said and bent down to use a rag to clean up what I couldn't reach.

"It's cool, it wasn't your fault." I replied as I reached over and cleaned off some of the drunk that had somehow gotten on her hair.

The lady in the drive through stared at the mess as I handed her the food she ordered, as well as six napkins and three packets of hot sauce. Just the way she liked it.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Just an accident, take it easy Mrs. Ross." I replied.

"Be careful, Ezekiel, say hi to your parents for me."

"I will."

"You know everyone..." Denise said as I waved goodbye to the lady that just passed by the drive through.

"Not everyone." I admitted.

-0-

I locked the restaurant's doors as Denise and I walked out.

Four months had passed and I stopped having dreams about that girl, which I didn't mind too much but I still would like to know why I was having them.

"You don't have to drive me home, Zeke. I can walk, its fine." Denise said as she forced her sweater closed.

"Its fine, plus my cousin would kick my butt if I let a girl walk home."

I jumped in my car and opened the passenger door for Denise. She jumped in as I turned the engine over.

"Thanks, Zeke." She said as she buckled.

"You got it." I replied.

I started driving but stopped quickly when someone cut me off. Denise accidentally kneed the dashboard and the glove compartment fell open, a picture of Helena and me fell on her lap.

She picked it up then smiled and looked at me. "Is this your sister?" Denise asked me.

"No, that's my girlfriend, I don't have a sister." I replied then took the picture and looked at it. There wasn't anything special about it other than it was one of the few photographs I had of her without her wolf attire.

"Oh, how long have you been together?"

"Four months, I think."

"You guys look cute."

I smiled and placed the picture in a slid on the dashboard.

"How long does it take you to get home?" I asked when I noticed that I had been driving for 45 minutes.

"Not long, you could drop me off here..."

"Are you sure, there's nothing- holy crap!" I let out as I noticed the large house on top of a hill. It had a large gate in the front that needed a password to open. "You live here?"

"Yeah." She replied as the fence opened. Denise had a confused look in her face.

"Was that not supposed to happen?" I asked.

"No...either way, thanks for the ride." She said and started unbuckling herself.

I noticed a woman standing on a window then moved away.

"It's okay, I'll drive you closer." I said and put the car in gear.

I drove up to the driveway and stopped.

"Thank you so much Zeke!" Denise said as she kissed my cheek and walked out of the car.

"You're welcomed." I replied as I noticed a woman standing on the doorway.

I couldn't see her face; it was dark enough for it to be hidden.

Denise walked up to the woman and talked for a few seconds then walked back to the car. I rolled down the window and Denise bent down.

"My sister wants to know if you would like to come in for some tea or something." Denise said as rain started to fall.

"It's okay; I really should be going home." I said politely.

"Okay, goodnight." Denise replied and started walking back.

A lightning bold struck and illuminated the driveway. I was able to see the woman's face for a second: it was the girl from my dreams, except that she seemed a few years older.

"Denise, on second thought I think I'll join you guys." I said as I turned the car off.

I walked out of the car and Denise waited for me as her sister stepped inside.

We walked in and Denise took her work shirt off and adjusted her regular tank-top underneath. I looked around as I entered the massive foyer. A lonely pink and white flower sat on a green base.

"Isn't it pretty?" Denise asked as she smelled it.

"It is... What is it?" I asked then felt slightly ignorant.

"It's a Lilium, part of the Lilly family." Denise replied.

"They normally only grow on the northern hemisphere, but they seem to like it here." A second voice said and I couldn't help but jump slightly. The other woman walked into the room with a tray that had three cups of tea.

"You..." I started

"...am Denise's sister. Call me Ai." She replied as she handed me a cup. "Thank you for driving my sister home, Zeke."

"You're welcomed, but how do you-" I started.

"Know your name? Dear, you're wearing your name tag."

I looked down and noticed my name tag that said "I'm Zeke, how can I help you?"

"Oh yeah..." I said feeling stupid.

Ai smiled humbly and sipped her tea.

"Ai did you-" Denise started.

"Drink your tea, Zeke, it will warm you up." Ai interrupted.

I had so many questions for Ai. Questions like; why am i dreaming of you and what do you want from me but I simply sipped my honey and lemon tea.

"Is it good?" Ai asked as Denise stared at her sister.

"Yeah" I replied yawning loudly. "Sorry about that."

Ai simply smiled and sipped her tea. I felt drowsy; I wanted to sleep really badly.

"No, why did you do that? He's not an elder!" Denise asked as I forced myself to stay awake.

"Wha- what's going on?" I mumbled as I fought to stay awake.

Ai simply sipped her tea as I fell to the ground.

I awoke in shock. The clock in the wall read 4:13 in the morning. I tried moving my arms and legs but some fluffy pink handcuffs held me on the large bed. I felt disoriented as I lay there, I've never been drugged before.

"You're up..." A voice said and I turned to see Ai, sitting on the bed. She was dressed in her night gown.

"What's going on?" I asked as I saw Denise standing with her back against the wall of the hallway.

"Did you know that all Darkstalkers are part animal? Even the elders have some part of their power given to them by an animal." Ai said as she stood up and walked towards the dresser.

"What are you talking about?" I asked as I felt my cell phone vibrate in my pocket.

"It's simple really; some elder Darkstalkers are still alive and live in some individuals. I believe that the elder Eio resides within you." Ai continued as she turned around and had a purple flower in her hand.

I looked at the hand cuff that held my right hand, I tried forcing it open with my psychic abilities but it didn't move, nothing happened.

"Don't try to use your power, dear. It won't work." Ai said as she stood by the side of the bed. "Liliums are interesting flowers. Like I said, all Darkstalkers are part animal and if a lilium is to be genetically altered then certain families of this flower can effect most Darkstalkers. You've been breathing in a specific kind of lilium." She signaled at the six white flowers on the side of my bed. "Those flowers will temporarily disable a Darkstalker's power. While this one..." She lifted the purple flower in her hand, "This one will awaken repressed memories."

"You're crazy! Fucking nuts!" I yelled as I struggled to get loose. I looked at Denise who still stood on the hallway.

Denise looked away slowly as she wore a saddened expression.

I didn't notice when Ai forced my head to the side then held the flower by my face.

"Smell it!" Ai said.

I struggled and moved away from Ai's grasp. A pair of leathery wings, with claws at the end, extended from her back and held me down.

I held my breath as long as I could but eventually was forced to smell the flower. I sniffed loudly but nothing happened.

"See!" Denise yelled, "I told you! He's just a regular Darkstalker, leave him alone!"

"No!" Ai yelled stubbornly and turned to look at Denise, "I know he is! I'm not wrong!"

I felt sick as I blacked out for a quick second. I drifted in and out of consciousness several times before I felt something throw my mental self back then aside as I noticed my arm become enflamed. Ai and Denise were still arguing as a handcuff melted away. My arm lifted without me controlling it. All the flowers in the room burst into flames simultaneously.

"Shut up!" I said in a voice that I didn't recognize.

Ai and Denise stopped arguing then looked at me. My hand was extended to Ai and she was engulfed in flames. Both of the sisters yelled as Ai tried putting the fire out then fell out of the nearest window.

My hand then extended towards Denise who cowered at the doorway.

"Girl!" The strange voice started, "What year is it?"

Denise said something that I couldn't hear. I realized that I couldn't hear anything anymore aside from the strange voice.

"Good..." The strange voice said as if my body was now controlled by someone else."I think it's time to remind these human's what fear is..."

"Who are you?" I asked as I was forces into darkness.

A pair of eyes opened in front of me, followed by a mouth that shifted slightly and formed a smile.

"You ask my name?" The face didn't change as it spoke to me.

"Who the fuck are you?" I yelled.

"Mammon!" The face said as it laughed horrifyingly in front of me. A pair of hands extended from out of nowhere and trusted deep inside of my head.

I yelled as darkness engulfed me and the last thing I saw was Denise mouthing the words "I'm sorry, Zeke." She held her hand towards me and an orange light shot out of her palm and threw me aside.

The thing that controlled me stopped itself before my body hit the wall and flew towards Denise

"You might be of some use, so I won't kill you yet." The voice said and a third hand came out of chest and dug into her forehead. Denise's head shot back immediately and her body went numb as she stared back with an empty glare.

~Six months later~

"Zeke! Zeke, wake the fuck up, Zeke!"

"What?" I asked in the kind of confusion that never turned out to be good.

I opened my eyes and saw Michael and Leon standing over me. Michael was in his wolf form: his tanned fur was covered in blood. He smiled and looked around before focusing at me again.

Leon's shirt was torn and covered in blood. His exposed chest showed several scratches and cuts. They both looked terrible.

I looked around, as we were on the inside of a building; a small stack of wood was on fire a few feet away. I noticed Helena, Senna and a female dee that looked like a jaguar. They all were unconscious as they lay on the floor with a leash attached to a collar around their neck.

The leashes and collars shift suddenly then snapped open then fell to the floor and move closer. The leashes and collars merged together until a girl stood where they lay. She stretched then smiled as a man moved closer.

I saw Iris walk into the room and stand next to Michael. She was in her cat form but you could still see that she was had been crying. Her face was red and her claws filled with, what looked like, blood.

"Don't you say anything, Michael!." Iris said then noticed me. Her calico cat ears perked up. She pointed at me with rage in her eyes. "This is your fault!" She yelled as she pointed at me with an orange and black claw.

Michel stood up quickly and held her back. "Iris! Calm down. It wasn't his fault, he was being controlled remember? It was that think I killed, plus why are you mad at Helena for? She was only doing what her instincts told her to after you sprayed her."

Iris stopped and shoved Michael who fell over then stood back up.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating that was? And you guys just stared and laughed." Iris started crying as some glass shattered in the distance.

"I know... I'm sorry. That won't happen again." Michael said and hugged his cousin who hugged him back.

"What did I do? What happened?" I muttered as my entire body ached.

"Dude, you fucked up big time..." Leon said as he motioned behind me.

I turned and I saw several Darkstalkers, in several different forms, standing up against the wall. A girl kicked an officer and extended some large bird wings and began flying in the air as she was trying to escape. A female husky Darkstalker jumped in the air and grabbed the girl by her leg and pulled her down. The husky girl head-butted the bird girl and held her down until an older officer came and used his taser on the girl. The bird girl shook for a second then lay still.

"Merci, ma cherrie." The man said.

"De rien, papa." The girl replied and got off the bird girl.

"Wow." Michael said and walked up to the girl who kissed him shyly.

"Yeah, she's really hard headed." A male husky Darkstalker with brown fur said when he came closer.

"What happened?" I asked.

"It's a long story..." Leon said as helped me up. "It all started six months ago when you disappeared for a night..."


	4. Chapter 4: A Dog Gone Day

_Chapter 4_: **A Dog Gone Day**

I was on all fours as I stood inside of the bathtub. I was in my full wolf form as my sister poured dog shampoo all over my back.

"Why are you guys helping, again?" I asked as my sister picked up the removable shower head and spared my back. "This feels weird..."

"Hold still Michael!" My mother said as she scrubbed my lower back.

"Well if you didn't shed this much, then we wouldn't have to bath you." My sister added.

My name is Michael Talbain and i'm a werewolf.

Technically I am a Darkstalker, but my powers originate from a wolf. My tan fur was always georgaus but hinted that I wasn't a full breed.

My father is also a werewolf but his fur is black, blue and white.

I looked down and saw a steady stream of fur and shampoo fall onto the running water.

I normally don't take care of my fur as I spend most of my time as a human, but it still needed maintenance: my father, sister and I shed if we don't groom our fur periodically. We also have to use dog shampoo but I don't because of the way it smells.

"Hold on, stop squirming!" Helena, my sister, said as she scrubbed the back of my ear but stopped when my left leg shook on its own and splashed water all over my mother.

I normally bathe myself but my mother and sister insisted on helping me, I wasn't sure why.

"What are you guys doing in there?" My father asked from the other side of the door.

"Michael wanted us to help him take a bath!" Helena yelled.

"No I didn-" I started but was cut off when Helena forced my snout closed with her right hand.

"The door's opened, honey." My mother said as she scrubbed my leg, just underneath the wet shorts I wore.

The door opened and my father walked in, in his human form.

His long black hair dangled nicely. He was nicely built and well groomed. He was in his late 30's by now but would sometimes act like a teenager. The wolf blood in him kept him looking younger so he looked a little younger than 35.

"He's shedding again," my mother stated as she brushed my tail.

My sister reached for my front paw and I splashed water at her.

"Stop that!" She hissed at me and I couldn't help but smile.

"You guys are weird." my father said as he bit into a pizza slice.

My mother and sister turned to look at my father and my animal instincts took over. I began to shake wildly. Shampoo, water and fur flew everywhere as my mother and sister tried shielding themselves with their hands.

"Michael, stop that!" My mother said loudly.

"No, bad boy!" Helena added!

I finally stopped and stared at my family who stared back at my puffed fur. My mother sighed, mumbled something about living with dogs and continued brushing my fur with a dog comb.

My sister started to say something but stopped when she spat out some of the fur that got into her mouth.

My father removed some fur that fell into his pizza slice and bit into it again. "You guys are weird." He repeated and walked out.

My sister slapped my left ear lightly and I blew her a raspberry.

I sat on my bed as my sister knelt behind me with her blow dryer in hand. She combed my fur while the hair dryer did it's job.

"Why did you help?" I asked her as she started working on my neck.

"I'm your big sister, it's the least I could do." She replied.

"I know that, but you have to admit that it was kinda weird."

"Not really, it was kind of like bathing Jeremy." She said as she moved to work on my right arm.

"I should be offended." I replied duly. Jeremy was our Siberian husky puppy. He was less than a year old and slept in my room.

Helena stopped for a second, "Do you want to smell like wet dog?" She asked me.

"No..."

"Okay then."

Helena worked on my fur for a few more minutes before she announced that she was done.

"I can't get a hold of him." I heard Luna, my neighbor, say.

"I'm calling the police." Dana, the mother, said.

My sister and I stared at each other as we heard the neighbors talking. My phone rang and we both jumped.

"Why do you have the Twilight Zone theme as a ringtone?" Helena asked as she crawled out of my bed.

I answered quickly so I wouldn't have to respond.

"Hello?" I asked then placed the phone on speaker.

"Hello, Michael?" Luna started on the other end, she sounded worried.

"Hey, Luna, what's up?"

"Is Zeke there? He never came home last night."

Helena quickly turned to look at me.

"No, he's not here. Did you try his work?" I replied

"Yeah, he closed last night and nobody has seen him since."

Helena moved closer with a worried look on her face.

"I'm sure he's fine. Maybe he stayed at his friends house." I continued.

"Leon hasn't heard from him neither."

"Okay, now you're freaking me out."

"You're freaking out?"

Helena held the home phone and tried calling Zeke.

"Let me dry and we'll go look for him." I added as my sister started to pace when she got the answering machine

"Dry? Wait, what?"

"Don't ask."

I met Luna outside of her house, she looked terrible.

Helena stood by me. She did a great job hiding her concern, probably for Luna's sake.

Both Helena and I were in wolf form. I walked around the pavement on all fours, smelling what I could as I tried to find Zeke's scent.

"How are we going to look for him? Aunt and uncle went to the police station."

"Mom and dad went out." Helena said.

I moved behind Luna and forced myself in between her legs and lifted her until she sat on my back.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Luna exclaimed as I bounced her slightly so she sat around my waist.

"Since none of us can drive; I'm carrying you." I said as Helena understood what I was suggesting.

"Why are you wet?" Luna asked as she shifted on my back.

"He was a dirty, dirty boy!" Helena said as she patted my head.

I noticed Alana, a 12 year old girl who lived across the street, staring at me. I waved to her, in a very dog like fashion, and she giggled then waved back. Her parents were also Darkstalkers.

"Alana thinks you're cool. She named one of the puppies, her dog had , 'Michael'." Helena said in an amused voice.

"Sweet! Anyway, let's go." I said and took off running but stopped when I felt Luna fall off my back.

Luna had landed on her back. She slowly sat up and glared at me.

"What? I said 'hold on'." I pointed out.

"No you didn't!" Luna replied angrily.

"Luna, do you have some spare clothing line?" Helena said as she walked closer and helped Luna back onto her feet.

"Yeah, in the back, why?"

"I've got an idea."

I ran down the streets on all fours with Luna on my back. Helena had tied clothing line around my muzzle so Luna could hold on to something.

"This is humiliating." I mumbled, as the clothing line didn't let me open my mouth completely. "I'm a wolf, not a horse!"

"That's what you get for dropping me." Luna said and pulled left on her improvised reigns so I went right, just to rebel.

We headed to Zeke's workplace to see if we could find any clues to where he might have gone.

People stared as I ran by, it was weird to receive this much attention. I looked back and noticed that Helena felt the same.

We arrived at his workplace and I sniffed at the ground to try and catch Zeke's scent, again.

Helena stood watch so nobody would walk by.

I smelled the door's handle and I recognized Zeke's scent, almost immediately.

"Was he here, boy?" Luna asked.

"Do you want to walk?" I said as I turned my head to look at Luna.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist."

I heard the door open and Ryan, the boss's son, stood at the opened doorway with a look of confusion on his face.

"Luna, what are you doing? Why are you riding that mutt?" Ryan asked and backed away slowly when I growled at him.

"Guys, someone is coming!" Helena said as she ran up to me on all fours then looked at Ryan. "Oh, never mind."

"Helena?" Ryan asked when he noticed my sister.

Helena never fully shifted into wolf form; instead she shifted her hands, feet, and the fur that covered her girly areas, along with the ears and tail that belonged to the wolf. Her face changed slightly but you could still tell that it is her.

I always fully shifted. Everything from snout to bone structure. The changing process didn't take very long as I was used to it. Clothing never transformed with us so I always made sure to wear something so little Michael couldn't come out and play.

"Hi Ryan." Helena said as she stood up on two legs.

"He left with the new girl, last night. He gave her a ride home, that's the last time I saw him." Ryan said after we explained what we were doing.

We all sat on one of the tables. Helena was in her semi wolf form as her fur was the only thing she had on. I sat as a human and wore some blue jeans short.

"Both Zeke and the new girl didn't show up today so it was safe to assume that something happen." Ryan continued.

"Where does the new girl live?" I asked.

"Don't know, I'll have to check." Ryan replied then stood up and walked to the back of the restaurant.

"Everyone keeps looking at me." Helena stated as she looked down at the table.

I looked around and people quickly pretended to be doing something else.

"Well, you are practically naked." I said and drank from her soda cup.

Ryan came back and sat down next to Helena again. "Here: 1115 Tuscany Pl." He said as he took off his work shirt and handed it to Helena. He still had a gray muscle shirt on.

"Thanks." Helena said smiling and put the shirt on as I heard a girl at the corner smack her lips in disagreement.

"That's about fifteen miles from here!" Luna stated, "it'll take hours to get there..."

"You've obviously never ridden the Werewolf Express." I said, "I'll have you there in half an hour, make sure to hold on this time."

"So you guys really are werewolves?" Ryan asked as he touched Helena's ear, curiously.

"Half werewolf." I added.

"No," Helena started as she let Ryan pet her. "Quarter werewolf, dad's only half. We are like this because the werewolf gene is dominant.

"So what's his other half?"

"Cat, like aunt Lilian and grandma Felicia."

"So we're like quarter cat?"

"Yeah but the dominant gene is normally represented by the child."

"So explain Manuel."

"He's just a weird one, technically they should all be cats."

"Who's Manuel?" Ryan asked.

"Our cousin." I said.

Helena and Luna struggled to get the clothing line over my muzzle again as I squirmed around instinctively on all fours. The people in the restaurant looked through the windows and glass doors to get a better view of us.

"Michael stand still, you're acting like a dog!" Helena said as she tried forcing my head still while Luna struggled to fit the knot over me snout.

"I am a dog!" I replied.

"Michael!" Ryan yelled and I turned quickly to look at him.

The clothing line was wrapped and secured around my muzzle while I was distracted.

I looked Luna then back at Ryan "You're dead to me..." I mumbled over the clothing line.

"There! Thanks Ryan." Helena said taking the shirt off and handing it back to Ryan.

"You're welcomed." He replied and put the shirt back on. He then had a weird expression on his face.

"Does it smell like dog?" I said

"A little..." Ryan replied then stared a me.

I smiled and Luna spanked me so I could take off. I looked back at her and she smiled then jerked forward when I whipped her back with my tail.

I took off running as fast as I could and Luna shouted her disapproval and said something about being more gentle. Helena hugged Ryan then jumped onto all fours and took off after me. I dodged cars as I headed down busy streets with incredible speed. Luna actually ducked down closer to my back as the wind that flew by was too much for her.

We passed a sign that showed the current speed of passing vehicles. I smiled when I saw that it read 62mph as I passed by. The sign actually took a picture of me when I passed it.

It took me around half an hour to arrive at a large gated house. The front gate wasn't locked so we let ourselves in. I still carried Luna as we moved closer to the driveway.

"I don't like this place." Luna whispered.

"It does have an eerie feel to it." I replied.

A woman sat by the front door. She hugged her knees to her chest as she mumbled to herself: "It wasn't him, it wasn't him. I didn't mean to do it, I didn't want this!"

I crept closer and the woman jerked her head at our direction.

"Who are you? Are you with him?" She hissed at us. Her hair and clothing were burnt.

"My name is Michael, this is Luna and the innocent looking thing there is Helena, my sister." I said in a soft and none threatening voice to the deranged woman. "We're just looking for someone."

"Of course you are! You're looking for him! Well he's not here, he left. He erased my sister's memory, but I remember! Oh yes, I remember everything! He even erased his keeper's memory so he wouldn't remember, but I do! Oh yes, I remember everything."

"I think that she's gone mad..." Helena whispered in my ear.

"Where did he go?" I asked.

"I don't know and I don't care, he just disappeared... Don't look at me like that! I'm not crazy, I'm the only one who's still sane!"

She stood up and started walking inside when a younger girl in a uniform that looked a lot like Zeke's walked out.

"Ai, I'm going to work. Try and get some rest..."

"That's the new girl." I said.

"How do you know?" Luna asked. She had hunched down to be closer to my face.

"She walked in when we went to visit your cousin."

"Oh, hey it's you!" The girl said when she saw Luna.

"Tell Zeke 'thanks for the ride home last night' for me, would you?" She said as she stared at me.

"So he was here last night?" Helena said with just a slight hint of anger on her voice.

"Well, he dropped me off, but nothing happened... Hey you're his girlfriend."

"Yeah, where is he?" Helena replied as she growled slightly.

"He dropped me off then went home, he didn't even come in for tea..."

"Yes he did! Yes he did, and when he woke up he was someone else! He was his son, why don't you remember?" Ai yelled from the doorway.

"Please excuse my sister, she is ill."

"No I'm not! Denise you're the one who is ill!"

"Ai, please!" Denise let out.

"So where is he?" I asked.

She stared at me for a few seconds as she clearly didn't expect the big dog to talk. "He took off... Home would be my best guess."

"He never made it home last nigh-." Luna started but was cut off when her cellphone rang.

She pulled it out of her pocket and stared at it for a second then slowly opened the phone and held it to her ear.

"Luna? Where are you? Where is everyone?" Zeke said on the other end.

"Zeke! Where are you? Where have you been?" Luna asked.

"I was at work... Where are you?"

"I'm at Denise's house. Where you here last night?"

"Yeah, I gave her a ride home, why?"

"Zeke, you never came home last night."

"Are you crazy? I got home late but that's it."

We made it back to Luna's house. Zeke was waiting outside for her. Luna jumped off my back and ran up to give Zeke a big hug.

"Where the fuck were you?" She asked.

"I was at work, like I said." Zeke replied then walked up to me and removed the clothing line from my muzzle. "You let these women do what they want, don't you?"

"Dogs are loyal." I replied as I stood up on two legs.

Helena finally caught up then jumped at Zeke who had to fierce himself to stay on his feet as Helena had wrapped her arms and legs around the guy.

"He just walked out of his room." Mario, Zeke's father, told me and Luna. "He claims he was at work."

"Did he sneak in?" I asked.

"No... It's like he just appeared."

I looked at Zeke who wobbled closer as Helena still held on to him. She had tears in her eyes as she whispered into Zeke's ear as her tail wagged wildly.

"Why does everyone keep saying that I was missing?" Zeke asked when he was close to us.

"Because you were..." I replied

"It's too HOT!" Helena said as she sat in the living room in her wolf form.

Four months passed and nobody mentioned Zeke's random disappearance again. I still thought about what the woman named Ai was saying, Helena would always tell me that she was crazy and that I should forget about it, whenever I mentioned her.

It was a hot summer evening. The entire block's power went out an hour ago, when a drunk driver hit a power line.

"I think I'm melting!" My mother said as she held a frozen bag of peas on her head.

I stood in the same room, it was hot but I didn't complain, there was nothing to be gained by doing so.

My father walked in and looked at my mother and sister.

"Bloody 'ell it's hot in here!" he let out as he walked in.

"Hey honey..." My mother said as my father gave her a quick kiss.

The lights flashed on for a second then turned back off with a spark that made my sister yelp slightly.

"The breaker's down, go check it Michael." My father said.

I stood up and walked outside and frowned when I noticed that it was cooler out here. I walked to the breaker box and flipped the downed switch and heard the electricity turn on.

"Fucking A..." I whispered then noticed Zeke standing outside with pants and a long sleeve shirt.

He stood still as he was watering some plants.

"Zeke, why are you wearing a long sleeve shirt?" I asked as I leaned over the fence. There wasn't a response or any indication that he even heard what I said. "Hey, Zeke!"

"What?" Zeke asked dully as he slowly turned and looked at me.

"What's wrong man? You've been acting weird..."

"I haven't been sleeping good, I keep having nightmares about fire."

"Why do you always tell me your dreams? Isn't that why you have a girlfriend?"

He went on to tell me about the dream he recently had:

It was a moonless night as Zeke stood in the middle of a village. The villagers looked at him with fearful expressions, as they cautiously chattered in their native language. His body combusted into flames that leaped and extended off his fingers before flying out to strike people, animals and houses alike. Zeke watched the fires spread and consume whatever they touched. He turned and walked away laughing as a baby was engulfed by the flames in the background. The fire spread to neighboring villages and forests until entire continents were burnt to the ground, and Zeke laughed loudly as it happened.

"That's some messed up stuff." I said when he finished his story.

"I've had similar dreams all week." Zeke said as he wiped his eyes; it was clear that he wasn't sleeping correctly.

"Listen, a dream is just a dream and you shouldn't worry about it. They're just figments of your imagination, so they're not real and therefor nothing like that could ever happen. Just like my dream with your cousin."

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You had a dream about Luna?"

"See, you're hearing things, get some rest."

"Hearing things, my ass! What was the dream about?"

"What dream?" Helena asked as she walked out through the sliding glass door.

She was still in her wolf fur as she walked closer. Her skin shone brilliantly because of all the sweat.

Zeke let out a low wolf whistle as Helena leaned close to give Zeke a kiss.

"There's my puppy!" Zeke let out.

"I'm going inside." I announced but got the feeling that nobody paid me any attention.

I walked back in and heard my mother giggling as she sat on my father's lap while he was in wolf form and licked my mother's neck, playfully.

Then it finally dawned on me: I was the only single member of the family. I stared at my hand and decided that it was time for a shower.


	5. Chapter 5: Welcome to the Family

_Chapter 5_: **Welcome to the Family.**

I stared at the sign that had the words "happy birthday" birthday written in glitter. Senna threw her white tiger arm around me. She wore some loose shorts and a plain t-shirt, along with a slim dog collar.

"Happy birthday, Michael." She said and removed her arm then punched me slightly before walking away.

I was 18 now, legal. My mother decided to throw me a party, against my will of course. It's not that I didn't want to see my family, I did, but eighteen didn't really mean anything to me. I could buy cigarettes now but I didn't smoke so it's not like it mattered.

My dad and Aunt Lilian were arguing about something in the background so I decided to go to my room.

I walked through the opened sliding glass door and into the kitchen where my mother waved me over.

"What's your father doing?" She asked.

"Arguing with Aunt Lilian." I replied.

She smacked her lips and walked outside. Manuel, Keith, Desiree, Wes and Senna each had some sort of instrument in front of them as they played a musical video game in the living room.

I walked up the stairs and into my room. Not to be alone, quite the opposite, but for the company.

I opened the door and Iris sat on the floor at the other side of the room. She flinched then relaxed when I closed the door behind me.

"Hey, Michael, happy birthday." Iris said. She stood up and hugged me.

"Thanks, Iris." I replied.

I lay on the bed and looked up at the ceiling as she threw herself next to me. She lay on her stomach as her calico tail slowly waved in the air.

"How did you know I was in here?" She asked me.

"You're always here." I replied.

Iris wasn't big on parties so she would always run off and hide in my room, after Helena kept kicking her out of hers. I always felt bad for her so I normally sneaked off to spend some alone time with my cousin. She was my favorite cousin, although I wouldn't tell any of my family that.

We both lay on my bed as we listened to the barking and hissing start to get louder outside.

"Looks like their fighting again." Iris said sadly. Her ears drooped slowly as she looked at the window.

"Looks that way." I replied and was going to say more but stopped when I heard my mother and uncle start yelling at their significant others. "They'll be fine in an hour."

"Always are... So how does being 18 feel?"

"Normal... Nothing special actually."

"I'll be 18 next year."

"I know, and then they can smash your face in a cake." I replied.

"Speaking of," she started and removed some frosting from the top of my left wolf ear. "So how's the girlfriend thing going?"

"Well I'm still single, so what does that tell you?"

She didn't reply as we heard Helena walk into her room, grab something then walks out.

"Desiree likes you, you know." Iris continued.

"I know, but I don't think that I want a tiger, or any cat, as a girlfriend."

"She's a white tiger and what's wrong with us cats anyway?" She asked as she adjusted her glasses and stared at me with her orange feline eyes.

"Nothing, I just don't want to date someone who's higher in the food chain." I replied.

"I think that werewolves are pretty high up.

I looked at her and she stared back. We both began to laugh when we realized how dumb we sounded. We were so used to being half animals that we hardly stopped to think how awkward certain conversations would sound to a regular human being.

"We are so weird." Iris said with a sigh.

"Yeah we are." I replied.

"How does Helena's guy cope with you guys?"

"Zeke? I don't know... I guess he just does it because he likes my sister."

"That's cute."

"Yeah, he's been acting weird lately though."

"After he disappeared, you mean?"

"Yeah, I've told you about his dreams haven't I?"

"No..."

"He's been having dreams about him killing people with fire."

"Wow... Maybe he needs some pills to help him sleep; Sam takes these all the time." She said and handed me a small red pill.

"Why does he need sleeping pills?"

"He can't shut off his animal abilities like we can, so he can't stop hearing everyone, so he takes these sometimes."

"So he is a werewolf?" I asked as I examined a pill.

"No... He's more like a cat... He just doesn't show any traces of being one."

"He's a cat? That's hilarious!"

"Why's that?"

I was about to reply when someone knocked on the door slightly.

"Michael, Iris, mom wants you guys downstairs for pictures and stuff!" Helena said.

"Does everyone know I'm here?" Iris asked me.

"She probably heard you." I said then stood up and gave Iris a piggy back ride.

Mom took pictures of everyone including a couple of my father and Aunt Lilian, who only stopped growling at each other long enough to smile as their pictures were taken.

We all sat down to eat dinner, on the individual tables we all meshed together, outside. I sat next to Iris and Sam as I ate dinner. I meowed quietly once in a while and Iris slapped my leg whenever I did. Sam stared at me but didn't say anything.

My uncle Jeffrey sang karaoke, or tried to, after dinner. Jeremy, my dog, howled loudly along with him. My uncle had about four beers too many as he mumbled half the words to Pat Benatar's Heart Breaker. The chorus started and it became clear that he didn't remember the lyrics so he started speaking in Spanish.

"¡Y aquí estamos señores! En el cumpleaños de my nephew... Helena, no!" he stood quietly for a second "Michael, ¿Que no? Vente Michael, let's sing!" He let out a loud yell and the younger family members covered their various animal ears.

"Oh God..." Iris said as she dug her face into her palm in embarrassment.

Uncle Ray ran up onto the stage alongside Jeff and they started singing, he wasn't actually our uncle but we called him that because he was so close to the family.

"¡Estas son las mañanitas, que cantaba el rey David!"

I looked at Iris who beamed red in embarrassment.

"What are they saying?" I asked after I realized that I didn't know as much Spanish as I thought I did.

"It's called 'Las mañanitas'; it's a Mexican version of the happy birthday song..." Iris said quickly.

They finished the song and Jeff let out another yell to which Ray followed. We all stared at each other then at Aunt Lilian and Aunt Alexandria, who shrugged.

My father walked up to Uncle Jeff and held him up as it looked like he would fall over.

"You know what Jonathan... I want, listen to me man this is important. I want to ask your sister out..." Uncle Jeff started as my father helped Him through the sliding glass door.

"You already did, Jeff. You also married and had three kids with her." My father replied.

"I did... Shit, I work quickly. I love you, baby!" he yelled as he waved at my aunt Lilian who simply stared back.

My father closed the glass door and we all sat in silence until one of the Oblivion twins clapped happily but stopped when aunt Ai grabbed his arm. Ray sat back down next to Alexandria who stared at him.

"What? It's a Mexican thing." He said then kissed his wife quickly.

I looked at Zeke who turned to look back at me.

"Welcome to the family." I told him and meowed softly once more then smiled when Iris slapped my leg again.

I woke up the next morning on the couch so Iris could have my bed; we've slept together when we were younger, but not this time. I stood up and almost fell over as I stepped on Poe who groaned and rolled over. It was nine in the morning and my mother, aunt Lilian, Ai and Alexandria were in the kitchen as they prepared breakfast.

Uncle Jeff slept on the love seat with his back to me as he had rolled over in the middle of the night. Aunt Lilian let a pan drop slightly and Uncle Jeff bolted upright. His face and hands were covered in magic marker, stuff like "I'm with stoopid" and "kick me" was written on his forehead. I chuckled lightly as I walked by and up the stairs. The bathroom door was opened as I heard voices coming from inside. I stared at Joanna, Desiree and my sister as they brushed their hair and applied make-up as I passed by. My sister turned when she noticed me then shut the door.

I grinned then stopped outside of my room then slowly opened the door. The room was as dark as it always was as the blinds were down. I shifted my human eyes to my werewolf ones so I wouldn't have to turn the lights on.

I noticed that my cousin's skirt and blouse were neatly folded on my dresser after my eyes changed. I turned and looked at my empty bed; the covers were pulled onto the other side. I crept closer and sighed when I saw Iris laying asleep on the floor, curled up into a ball. I moved over and picked her up then placed her on the bed.

Iris rolled over again as I placed the covers on her. I then moved away to find a different shirt and a clean pair of short but stopped when I heard Zeke wake up from inside of my sister's room. I raised an eyebrow and listened.

"So close, why am I wasting time with these creatures? The time will come soon." He mumbled in a voice that sounded a lot like his but different in a way.

I pressed my ear on the wall and listened as he mumbled to himself in a language I didn't understand or recognized. Some of the words frightened me slightly as they seemed to be spoken backwards. It sounded like he was having a conversation, but I couldn't hear anyone else's voice. My train of thoughts was broken when a pillow hit me in the back.

"What the hell are you doing in my room, Michael?" Iris shrieked as she covered herself with my blanket.

"Your room? This is my room." I replied.

She started to say something but stopped when she looked around. "Oh yeah... Still why are you in here?"

"Uh, maybe because it's my room." I said.

"You don't come into a room when a girl is naked!" She replied.

"You're not naked! You're in your underwear!" I said.

"Get out!" She said and tossed another pillow but fell off the side of the bed. I had to stop myself from laughing as her legs were straight in the air.

I started walking out after I found a new set of clothing.

"Where are you going?" Iris said in a muffled voice.

"To get dressed in the bathroom, since you're naked and all." I replied.

"But it's your room and I'm not naked..."

"See, this is why you haven't found a guy, you're too damn complicated..."

"Shut up and toss me my spare clothes..."

I sighed again and opened the top drawer, my balled up and lazily placed clothing covered the drawer. I shoved some pants out of the way and a long skirt, blouse, and black bra and panties lay there. We both kept a pair of spare clothing for each other in our respected rooms, just in case.

I pulled them out and turned to see Iris standing up again. She had her back to me as she walked into my closet while undoing her bra.

I closed my eyes and moved closer then handed her the clothing.

"So weird..." she said and took the clothing from me.

I walked back and took the time to change into some cargo shirts and a regular t-shirt. Iris walked out of my closet with a weird look in her face. She adjusted her knee length skirt and smelled the blouse I handed over.

"I smell like a man..." She said.

"You look like a man." I replied and opened the door to walk out.

Helena fell into the room. I stared at her and she smiled and pretended to not have been listening.

I waved as my mother and sister drove off to the store in my car, the following day. I stayed home. It's not that I didn't want to spend time with them or because I thought that shopping was woman-work but because my mother's car needed a brake change.

It took me a few minutes to jack up the car and remove the driver side tire. Alternative rock played on the radio as I knelt and removed the pad. I forced the bow with the new pad open and it slipped under the car which made me sigh. I slid underneath and reached for it as I felt the car move. It fell off the jack and I quickly shifted my arm into werewolf form and held the car up by its chassis.

"You guys get extra strong when you transform don't you?" Zeke said as he walked up and moved the jack back into place, with his mind.

I placed the car back on top of the jack and smiled, "I wasn't sure if I could actually do that but if I didn't try Then I would probably have a car on top of me right now." I said and picked the new break pad up. "How did you know that we get stronger?"

"Well when Helena turns to her wolf form she can-"

"Please... Keep that stuff to yourself." I interrupted Zeke. "Apply the hand break, would you."

He moved and pulled the lever that shifted the rear breaks into place. "I was going to say that she can run a lot faster so that meant muscle increase, but you can't get your mind out of the gutters." He continued.

"My ass, you were going to say that."

He laughed "she gets really flexible too!"

"I am going to rip your head off."

He started saying something when a SUV sputtered and stopped in front of my house. The engine made noises as the car refused to turn back on. I could see the girl inside plead desperately as she kept trying to force it back on.

"She's going to fuck it up." I said.

"She's dripping oil." Zeke said.

I noticed a small but steady drip falling from the bottom of her SUV as I walked over. I tapped on her passenger side window before she could try turning it on again.

The girl jumped and opened the window slightly.

"You're dropping oil, open your hood and don't turn it on." I said then realized I must have sounded really controlling.

"O-okay" The girl said and looked around then finally popped the hood.

I looked around but didn't see anything so I ducked underneath and saw that the bolt the kept the oil in wasn't fastened correctly.

"Zeke can you-" I started then noticed the wrench that I was going to ask for, floating in front of me. I took it and tightened the oily bolt.

I stood back up when I finished and opened the oil cap as Zeke moved in closer as he brought four quarts of oil, two in his hands and two floating behind him.

I poured the oil and closed the hood then walked to the girl's side window. She lowered it completely and stared at me.

"Whoever changed your oil did a bad job, try turning it on." I said.

The girl looked over at Zeke who threw the bottles towards my trash can, none of the bottle made their mark so he made them fly up and land inside.

"He's a dark one..." She mumbled.

"Zeke? He's a harmless freak." I assured her when I noticed how she looked at him, not in a concerned way but curiously.

"Whatever, doggy." Zeke said when he walked closer.

I flipped him off playfully as the girl tried turning the engine over. It sputtered and shook a few times and finally turned on with a screech.

"Oh my god, thank you so much! I thought that my father was going to kick my butt for sure." She said from inside of her car. She had a slight French accent.

The girl was a normal sized thing with a nice slender face. Her bright red hair and freckled face made it clear that she was a ginger.

"You're welcomed." I said and tapped her side door twice.

"I owe you one!" She said kindly. I couldn't help but feel as if she was hinting something.

"Well-" I started.

"Just pay it forward." Zeke said.

"O-okay, thanks again Mr..."

"Michael, just Michael." I said.

"Thanks Michael, I'm Bella Ross. Now if you excuse me. I have to head home." she said and waved goodbye.

I waved back then smacked Zeke upside the head when the girl turns the corner.

"What the hell?" Zeke protested.

"I was going to ask her out." I complained.

"Oh..."

"What the hell is pay it forward, anyway?"

"When you do something nice for someone, then they do something nice for someone else and so on."

"Yeah well, her doing something nice for someone else isn't going to get me any."

"A shotgun, two ruffies and three hundred dollars couldn't get you any."

"Well at least I don't speak in a weird language."

"What are you talking about?"

"I heard you speaking in tongues or something, yesterday."

"What the hell is tongues?"

"Remind me why my sister is with you again?"

"Because of my foot long-"

I punched him in the arm before he could finish then moved back to finish working on the car.

"Besides," he started after I fastened the break pad. "She's a ginger, she doesn't have a soul." Zeke said.

I stared at him as I placed the tire back on.


	6. Chapter 6: Repressed Memories

**Chapter 6**: _Repressed Memories_

"I'm not dealing with your shit anymore!" I heard Zeke say as I lay on my bed as the full moon's light that poured in through my window forced me into werewolf form.

Zeke had called my sister about half an hour ago and it seemed like he was breaking up with her.

"Why? What did I do?" I heard my sister cry out.

"Did you really think that I would ever be with you? You must be the stupidest bitch I know."

"What are you saying? Where is this coming from?"

I heard Zeke say something then hang up. My sister started to cry then run out of her room.

My door swung open and Helena ran to my side.

"Michael, Zeke just broke up with me!" She cried out as she threw herself into my bed and cried when she dug her face into my chest.

I patted her head with my left hand and held her with my right.

"I'm so sorry. Why? What happened?" I asked.

"I don't know, he wouldn't say. We were fine this morning after we... Um, you know." She replied.

"I am going to kill that asshole." I said, not only because of what they've done when their alone but because he made her cry and I didn't know what else to do.

"Please don't." She said quickly then looked at me with tears and makeup running down her cheeks.

I sighed and held her as she continued to cry. An hour passed and she seemed to be calming down.

"Hey, remember when you were in sixth grade and that kid wouldn't stop picking on you?" I asked. I wanted to take her mind off what had happened. I knew that if I did then she would calm down, she always did.

"Yeah."

"What was his name?"

"I don't remember..." she said and rubbed her eyes. "I remember how he cried when you kicked his ass, though."

"Yeah, I got suspended for like a month."

She chuckled and rubbed her eyes again. Her werewolf paw was soaked in tears and makeup. "Yeah, but he didn't pick on me again."

She wrapped her arms around me and held her head on my cheat. "You know that I'll always be there for you, right? And if you want me to make sure that he knows what he's missing out on, then I could go over there right now."

"No, it's fine... I knew that it was too good to be true." She said and sniffed loudly. "Can I sleep with you tonight? It would be nice if I could."

"Sure." I said and reached for my phone and texted my mother, who was in the store with my father.

"Bring ice cream, a lot of ice cream." I wrote and closed the phone.

"What happened? Is she single again?" My mother replied a few seconds later.

"Yeah." I replied and closed my phone.

I saw Helena's wolf ears perk up as yelling could be heard from Zeke's house.

"Why the fuck did you do that? And the way you did it, Zeke why did you have to be such an asshole?" Luna said as she yelled at Zeke.

"Leave me alone, woman. What do you know about anything." Zeke replied. He sounded a little different.

I heard Luna scoff then shriek followed by the sound of a door that slammed close a few seconds later. Luna pounded loudly on Zeke's door. "Don't you use your power on me, boy, open this door!"

There wasn't an answer so I stood up and looked out of the window. Nothing seemed different so I turned back around and saw my sister hugging a pillow as she curled up in my bed.

I smiled and turned back, I gasped slightly when I saw Zeke standing on the edge of his roof and staring at me. I stared back as Mario Simmons, Zeke's father, forced the door opened and looked around for his son. I looked back at Zeke, who held a finger across his mouth as if he was telling me to not say anything, and gasped when he threw his arms to his side and stepped off the roof. He hit the ground hard and didn't move again.

"Oh shit!" I let out and jumped through my window as Luna shrieked loudly and covered her eyes. Mr. Simmons shouted and ran to the window. I landed on my side of the fence then hopped over.

Zeke's motionless body lay on the concrete floor with a growing ooze of blood coming out of his forehead.

"Oh shit..." I mumbled as Luna ran to my side with tears on her eyes.

"Oh my God!" she cried out and wrapped her arms around me.

Mr. and Mrs. Simmons ran closer but stopped when they saw their adopted son's lifeless body. Mrs. Simmons cried out loudly as Mr. Simmons pulled her close. Helena jumped the fence and stopped next to me.

"Oh my God, what happened?" She said as she fell to her knees by Zeke's body.

"He jumped off the roof." I said and hushed Luna when she cried loudly.

The paramedics arrived a few minutes later and announced that Zeke didn't have a pulse then moved back to their vehicle to pull out the stretcher.

We all stood around as Zeke's body was lifted onto the stretcher, covered by a thin white cloth and tied down.

I still held on to Luna who couldn't stop crying as the paramedics passed by with the body.

The paramedics stopped suddenly and fell down to the floor motionless. Their empty expressions terrified me. I started to say something when Zeke's body moved suddenly and the straps undid themselves. The covers fell as if there wasn't anyone under them. We all stared at the stretcher in horror.

I looked around as someone laughed hysterically. We all gasped as Zeke stood on the top of the fence that separated our houses.

He finally stopped with a sigh and looked us over, he seemed different somehow.

"You fools are so intriguing!" Zeke said with a voice that sent a chill down my back. It sounded like his voice but my enhanced ears picked up two or three more people speaking along with him.

"Zeke, what's going on?" Mrs. Simmons asked slowly.

Zeke shot her a glance then smiled. "It starts..."

"What? What starts?" Mr. Simmons asked.

"Everything..." Zeke replied then started laughing again.

I felt something pulsate on the air as I looked around. Everyone seemed to move slowly, almost to the point of standing still.

"Interesting..." I heard Zeke say.

I looked back and he stood about three inches away from me.

"What is?" I asked.

Zeke didn't reply as he was too busy examining me. I shifted slightly but stopped when he squinted at me.

"Bye." He sighed.

Zeke combusted into flames and time returned to normal. Air rushed to fill the void where Zeke stood. Everyone cried out as the air contracted then expanded in a matter of seconds.

We all stood our ground and looked around for Zeke, who was missing, but stopped when the paramedics began to contort then finally stop. I moved and gasped when I saw their withered and distorted faces, as if all the life had literally been sucked out of their bodies.

"We need to talk. Meet me outside of the school, tomorrow night." The note said.

"Do you know who sent it?" I asked.

"No idea, it just came in the mail this morning, it was addressed to you, although the person needs to learn how to spell your name." My mother said as she diced a tomato.

I looked at the envelope that read "Maikel Tallbane" and chuckled.

The TV was on and tuned to the news that was talking about what happened with the paramedics, outside of Zeke's house, last week. The news man said that it seemed to be the work of a Darkstalker and the news quickly cut out and showed a message saying that Darkstalkers were a myth and that the cause of the occurrence is under investigation.

To the humans we were a mystery. The ones that did believe in us couldn't agree if we were friend or foe and the ones that didn't believe in our existence wanted to disprove it.

"Hey, Maikel." Helena said as she sat down and ate some yogurt.

"Shut up." I said and started walking away.

"So sensitive, mom can we go and get some ice cream at that one place in the mall?" Helena asked then licked her yogurt covered spoon.

"You guys can go, that way your father and I can talk."

"Talk or TALK?"

My mother didn't say anything as she stared back at my sister and finished dicing her tomato.

We walked to the mall that was about half an hour away. Luna saw us walking by and decided to join us.

"So you guys can't remember anything?" I asked.

"I remember talking to him on the phone. Although, I can't remember what we were talking about though." Helena said.

"I remember yelling at him." Luna said.

"So you don't remember him jumping off the roof?" I asked.

Luna stared at me. "Zeke would never do anything like that! I wish you'd stop saying that he did." She said.

I didn't say anything else. It was clear that Zeke had somehow erased their memories, alongside Mr. and Mrs. Simmons'. I didn't know why I remembered what happened that night but it wasn't like anyone believed me.

Zeke was currently missing, had been for a week. His family didn't think too much of it, they all said that he said that he and Leon, who was also missing, were going on a trip.

I dropped the subject and continued walking.

"Why don't you guys turn to your werewolf forms? We would get there faster." Luna said.

"There's a full moon tonight, we like being our human selves as much as we can before then." I said.

"We are forced to be werewolves during a full moon, dad can keep his human form but we can't." Helena added.

"Sounds complicated." Luna said.

We arrived in the packed mall as teenagers and adults walked left and right as they headed in and out of various shops. A little girl fell down in front of us and started crying, her mother picked her up and made hushing noises as Helena stared admiringly.

"Awe" Helena let out.

I simply stared at her.

We walked around and looked at some of the shops. I pretended to be interested in a cell phone plan but was actually looking at the female attendant's cleavage, who wasn't too shy about showing off as long as it meant that she might sell something.

We finally reached the ice cream shop, named after a very unoriginal flavor, and stood in line for about ten minutes.

"Why is it so busy?" Luna asked as she stood on her tip toes to try and look at the overly complicated menu.

I shrugged and nodded to a guy I knew from school.

We finally got close enough to the ordering counter for me to see the four eyed girl who took the orders: It was Bella Ross, the girl with the SUV that stopped in front of my house. Except that her name tag read "Kassie."

"Hi, welcome to Vanilla how can I help you?" The girl said as she adjusted her slender glasses, when Helena and Luna walked up to the counter.

I purposely kept my back to her, so she wouldn't recognize me. At least not yet.

Helena ordered hot fudge Sunday while Luna ordered a banana split with fudge and peanuts.

"... And you sir?" The girl asked then flinched when she recognized me. She saw me looking at her name tag and smiled nervously.

"A rocky road. Please, Bella Ross." I said as I placed a twenty dollar bill on the counter and walked away.

"What the hell was that about?" Helena asked as she placed my cup of ice cream on the table in front of me, five minutes later.

"Guy stuff." I said and dug a plastic spoon into the frozen treat.

"Do you know her?"

"No."

"She knows you."

I didn't reply.

I wasn't too fond of being lied to, especially by someone that I helped. I didn't expect to get anything out of the girl in the first place but some honesty would have been nice. I told Helena and Luna as much.

"You don't have to be a jerk about it, go talk to the girl." Helena said as she put an ice cream covered spoon in her mouth.

"No... If she's going to be a bitch about it then I don't-" I started then stopped when Luna coughed loudly.

I sighed and looked behind me, Kassie stood there with a shocked expression in her face. She began to say something but turned and walked away quickly.

"You done messed up, dog boy." Luna said.

I turned back around and stared at Helena and Luna, who decided that their attention was needed elsewhere, as they turned away.

I sighed again and finished my ice cream.

The news woman finished talking about the events that happened a week ago in Zeke's place as I ran through the house with Jeremy in my arms as he showed signs of wanting to urinate. My parents stared, from the living room, as I ran through the kitchen and crashed into the sliding glass door.

"Son of a..." I let out as Jeremy barked loudly.

My father made his way over and opened the door. I walked through it then let Jeremy down. He walked around a few times as he couldn't figure out where he wanted to do his business. I couldn't help but stare at my hands as fur and claws grew out of them when the full moon's light covered me.

I sighed fifteen minutes later and walked over to a corner and unzipped my shorts and showed Jeremy how it was done.

"See boy it's easy..." I said as my dog lifted his rear leg and blessed the small tree. "Good boy."

Jeremy finished and looked around then ran to a corner and started barking loudly.

"What is it? There's nobody there!" I said and walked over but stopped when I heard movement on my neighbor's roof.

I focused my werewolf eyes and saw a figure move to the other side of the roof, just out of view.

"Who's there?" I asked. My voice sounded dark and demanding.

I didn't get an answer so I asked again.

"I'm just looking for someone." A voice said. It sounded mysterious and satisfyingly soft with a slight accent.

"Well that person isn't here, go away."

"I see. You must be the dark one that is terrorizing this neighborhood." The voice replied with a slight accusing tone.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I saw it in the news just now. You're the one who's hurt those people! I won't let you hurt the nice family that lives here!" The voice said.

I didn't realize that the figure had changed roofs until it flew from behind me. I barely had time to turn around when the figure knocked me down.

Its dark blue eyes staring into mine. I pushed it off and jumped on top of it, before the figure could bounce back, and placed my hands of its chest to hold the figure down but quickly removed them when I felt something very similar to breasts.

The figure yelped then used her hind legs to toss me backwards. I hit the floor in front of our sliding glass door then rolled over on all fours.

"You're a girl..." I stated as I stared at the figure.

The figure walked closer on all fours until she stood by the light. Jeremy barked wildly at her then stopped when he saw what I saw.

The girl was a dog Darkstalker she was in full dog form, unlike my sister. Her fur coat was tight and full with the bottom being white and the top being a dark gray. Her eyes were an elegant dark blue. She looked like a larger version of Jeremy; she looked like a husky Darkstalker.

The glasses held by her petite dog collar around her neck, along with her round and slender shoulders, told me that she wasn't used to fighting which meant that she really did want to protect something or someone. She had no human hair coming out of her head, her fur and dog like stance made her seem like a large dog.

"You're point being?" The girl said and shifted slightly  
>then jumped at me again but was forced aside when my sister tackled her in mid air.<p>

They rolled a few times and finally stood in front of each other on all fours. Helena growled at the husky Darkstalker who barked back after a few seconds.

"Helena-" I started.

"Take Jeremy inside, I've got this." Helena said as the last of her tail and ears emerged out of her. The scantly body fur, that she normally wore when she was in werewolf form, was mostly covered by the tank top and shorts she had on.

"I'm not going anywhere." I said.

"See, he won't hurt you because you're a girl." Helena started as she crept to the side. "But I've been meaning to let off some steam."

"You're a dog too?" The husky started as she paced but made sure to keep her eyes on my sister. "What breed?"

"Breed? I'm a werewolf, you stupid bitch!" Helena said with a sneer.

"That's twice that I've been called that today." The husky said and jumped towards my sister who moved aside with ease.

The husky girl landed and jumped at my sister again and again but somehow happened to miss every time. She growled loudly but flinched when my sister ran up on all fours and knocked her down. The husky girl struggled then helped loudly when my sister bit into the girls arm.

The husky girl cried out as my sister let go of the husky girl then push her away. The husky girl fell to the floor and whimpered slightly.

"Michael, go inside and tell dad." Helena said as she jumped on the girls back and began to pull her injured arm backwards with one hand and her dog collar with the other.

"Get off me you bitc- wait... Michael?" The girl asked then looked at me, her voice being a little raspy as she was being choked by the pulled collar. "It's me, Kassandra! Ow stop that, I still need that arm!"

"Kassandra? Bella Ross, Kassandra?" I asked and signaled for my sister to get off the girl.

The gray fur on Kassandra's back changed to have more of a black texture as it shrunk back and became nothing more than the hair on her head. Most of the white fur seemed to change to a slight pink as it became Kassandra's skin again, with the exception of fur that stayed present around her female areas.

"Ice cream girl?" Helena asked then let the girl go but didn't get off her.

"What- I mean why... What are you doing here?" I asked as I stood up and walked closer.

"I wanted to say that I was sorry for lying to you about the Bella Ross thing. Can you tell her to get off me; I really don't like being a chair." She said.

"Sorry." Helena said and stood up.

"You dogs are going to make me have a heart attack or something!" My mother complained as she used several cotton swabs and a rag to clean up Kassandra's arm. She was a dog and not a werewolf so her injuries didn't heal like mine did.

Kassandra gasped when the alcohol touched the wound my sister did.

"Kassandra, I am so sorry." Helena said as she held the items my mother needed.

"It's okay; I was the one attacking you." Kassandra replied then smiled at me but gasped loudly when my mother purposely forced more alcohol into the cut.

"Another thing, I don't appreciate you attacking my children." My mother said.

"I'm sorry Mrs.-"

"Talbain, Christine Talbain." My mother said as she bandaged the wound.

Kassandra was a pretty thing. Long black hair and dark blue eyes behind a pair of slender glasses. Slightly pink skin covering her petite but curvy body. She smiled at me when she noticed that I was looking her over.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I asked.

She explained what she was doing: her parents were watching the news as the reporter talked about what had happened in Zeke's house. She felt bad about lying to me so she decided to sneak out and check to make sure that I was okay.

"So I guess you were right, Michael. I am a bitch." Kassandra said with a smile then let her husky tail and ears pop out.

My mother stared at the girl then at me. I simply smiled back and knew that I was going to get yelled at later: my mother didn't like me using that word.

"Let's let them talk." My father said as he took my mother's by the hand. "Michael, we're still too young."

"We're still too young" was something my father and mother always told me and my sister. The full saying goes: "We're too young to be grandparents."

"I'm staying." Helena announced.

My father took hold of Helena's tail and pulled her away. She protested and finally agreed on going up to her room if he would let her go.

"Listen, sorry about-" I started but was interrupted when Kassandra jumped up from the chair she had been sitting on and kissed me on the tip of my muzzle. It was technically my first kiss and I wished that I wasn't in werewolf form.

"No, listen. I'm sorry that I lied." She started and stared at me, her glasses were a little farther down than they should be. "Well technically, Bella Ross is the name I use on the Internet so, I only half lied."

"Then I'm only half mad." I replied and adjusted her glasses for her, then stared into her beautiful dark blue eyes. "I'm sorry for calling you the b-word." I replied.

"I deserved it..." She started and unhooked the name tag that was attached to her dog collar and then handed it to me.

The heart shaped name tag read:

"Kassie J.  
>16174 W Mayflower Place"<br>Along with a stream of numbers that had to be her telephone number.

"My real name is Kassandra Anna-Marie Josèphe. I'm 19, my mother and father are French and yes this is my real hair color. Even If I dyed it a different color, it would um... Revert whenever I changed. Me and my brothers are husky fils de l'obscurité, like my mother and her mother."

"I'm Michael Jeffrey Talbain, 18. My father is part English. I'm a werewolf Darkstalker just like my father and his father. But sorry I don't have a name tag to give you."

She chuckled. "Then in that case: kiss and we'll call it even."

I smiled and kissed her again as I heard my sister giggle in the background but I didn't care. I had an older girlfriend.

"Josèphe! Josèphe! Kassandra Anna, dash there is a dash in there do not forget the dash, Marie Josèphe!" My sister taunted me the following night as we waited outside of the high school. "Not Joseph but Josèphe with an accent and an extra e."

"Shut up." I said as we waited for whoever wrote the note to show up.

"Oh and she's French and a fill de lobs-cure.

"Mostly French. Her father is half American and it's pronounced fils de l'obscurité, it means: Dark one." I corrected her.

"So that means that when you two have kids they'll be part English, part French and part American."

"Shut up." I repeated.

"Oh, oh and! AND! They will be part human, part werewolf, part cat and part husky, oh God, this is getting good!"

"Why haven't I bought you a shock collar yet? I would really like to zap you right now."

"You could buy one for the future MRS. Talbain; I bet she would enjoy it."

I stared at her as she laughed at me. Her memory was erased so she didn't remember that Zeke had broken up with her, I didn't bring it up because it would make her mad then depressed when she realized that I wouldn't be lying.

We looked up as I heard wings flapping. A figure flew closer to us, on large bat wings. It was Ai, the crazed woman who lived with Zeke's co-worker.

Ai hovered over us and finally let herself drop. She landed gracefully in front of us and smiled. She didn't seem at all deranged like she did that one night. She wore a white flower on her hair.

Ai dusted herself off and stared at us.

"Yeah you guys are the ones, I recognize the girl." Ai said as her wings folded behind her back.

"I have a name! It's Helena!" Helena replied in an annoyed tone.

"I'm Michael. You sent the letter didn't you?" I asked.

"Yeah..." Ai replied and examined us thoughtfully. "I need to talk to you about your friend."

"Zeke?" Helena said.

"That's the one. Except that he isn't Zeke." Ai said and decided to clarify when she saw our confused expressions. "Okay to start off I'm in a group called Nanandrophy. We are searching for an elder god that is said to be dormant in a male Darkstalker that was born around his time. We have been trying to find the elder's host to help us bring a new age to this world. One that will unite the Darkstalker and human race, by force if we have to."

"So you intend to force peace by war?" I asked.

"Do try and keep up." She said and pulled the flower from her head.

"That's a pretty flower." Helena said as she admired the item.

"Thank you, this is a Lilium. They naturally are able to affect some small mammals but I have been genetically altering them so they can work for us. This one actually was supposed to bring back repressed memories but it awoke a creature inside of your friend, when I used it on him."

"Zeke." Helena reminded Ai.

"Thank you. Someone called Mammon now manifests Zeke's body and I have no idea what he plans on doing to this world but you could bet that he doesn't intend on us holding hands and singing Kumbaya."

"So what are we to do? He's missing at the moment." I said.

"No he's not. He's on a trip with Leon." Helena said.

"So... It seems that he erased your memories too. Curious, why didn't he erase yours, boy?"

"I don't know..." I started, "he asked me the same question before vanishing."

"That thing can return repressed memories?" Helena asked.

"You don't want to do that." I said when I understood what she was getting at.

"It's supposed to, but it is starting to wither so I don't know how much effect it will have."Ai said.

"Let me try." Helena said.

"Helena you really don't want to do that." I repeated.

"It'll be fine. So what do I do? Eat it or something?"

"Girl, I said that I used it on the boy, do you see any bite marks?" Ai let out. "You smell the jolly thing."

Helena held the flower up to her nose and took a deep breath. She stood there and smelled again but it seemed that nothing was happening.

"It doesn't work!" Helena protested and handed the flower over.

"Well it is withering." Ai said.

"So why are you here?" I asked when I decided that it was time to get to the point.

"Nanandrophy is gaining popularity in certain circles and we understand that unleashing Mammon, whoever he may be, was our fault. We will help you in any way we can to stop him."

"Stop him?" I asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Mammon is said to be a demon, straight from the pit" Ai started. "He might want to start an army and try taking the world over or something. The boy within the creature knows you two better than most, I'm assuming, and you have to help us stop him before he does whatever he does."

"We don't have to do anything!" I said. "We'll just sit this one out, if you don't mind."

Helena pulled me aside and whispered in my ear. "If this involves Zeke then I want to be part of it."

"The woman's crazy." I whispered but didn't believe it. "We need to find Zeke but this woman is talking about some biblical shit..."

"You don't have to agree, but you will be part of it. He will make sure of it." Ai said.

"How will he do that?" I asked.

"The flowers show me things... And I've seen both of you on opposite sides." Ai said and took off into the sky.

"Crazy witch." Helena said.

"Yeah, talking about doomsday stuff like that." I continued. "Come on, this was a waste of time. Let's go to the gas station; I want some coffee."

We started walking but I stopped when Helena stared blankly.

"Helena, are you okay?" I asked.

""Why? What did I do?" She mumbled.

"You're acting crazy, that's what." I said.

"What are you saying? Where is this coming from?" She continued and I understood what was happening.

Her memories where returning and she recalled the conversation she had with Zeke on the phone that night.

She started crying as she remembered whatever Zeke had told her before hanging up.

"He broke up with me..." Helena gasped through her tears.

"Yeah..." I said.

"Oh my God, why did he do that?"

"I don't know..."

"Oh God, he did jump off the roof... And died! He's dead, Michael, Zeke is dead!" Helena cried out and threw herself at me then stopped and tilted her head slightly. "He's laughing... He's not dead, he's laughing, why is he laughing?"

"He got back up after he jumped and started laughing then time seemed to freeze before he disappeared. He simply said 'bye' and combusted into flames and was gone with time returned to normal."

"Oh my God, I'm single again!" Helena said when she missed the point.

"I think that Mammon is controlling him. He might have been messing with us. I heard him speaking in a weird language the day after my birthday."

"Where?"

"In your room... The following morning."

"What was he doing there?"

"I can take a guess."

"Shut up, no he went home. Joanna, Desiree and I slept in my room."

"So why was he there?"

"I don't know."

"Come on, I'll buy you some ice cream..."

"I think I need an entire bucket right now."

"Let's get you the biggest bucket of ice cream we can find."

"Can I... Can I sleep in your room tonight?" She asked me shyly.

"Yeah." I said and held my sisters hand as we walked to the gas station before going home.


	7. Chapter 7: Existentialism On Movie Night

_Chapter 7_: **Existentialism on a Movie Night.**

"Let me tell you something about women, Michael." My father said while we were underneath my car.

There wasn't anything wrong with the car. We were actually hiding from my mother and sister who were on their time.

"Their fun and good for lonely nights?" I said as I uselessly cleaned the bottom of the chassis.

"Well yes, as well as other things. But they're like cars, you need to find a loyal one." My father replied as my mother and sister started yelling at each other from inside.

"I know that, dad. You've told me like half a million times."

"I know, I just want you to remember. Now I say we pretend like we need something for the car and go eat somewhere."

"Cool." I said and Rolled out of the car.

"Go get my keys." My father said.

"Why do I have to go?"

"Paper, rock and scissors?"

"Okay."

I walked out of the garage a minute later.

"Rock always wins, my ass." I mumbled as I made my way inside.

I heard a door slam upstairs as I crept in to grab my fathers keys.

"Where are you going?" My mother said as she washed the dishes.

"To the auto parts store, we need something for the car." I replied.

"Hurry home, lunch will be ready soon."

"Okay." I said and hurried outside.

"Did it work?" My father asked as he turned the car on.

"I think so, she said to hurry home for lunch."

We drove around for a while and finally arrived at the auto parts store. There were more guys waiting in line then there normally were. A man tried to let us go before him and got mad because we refused. The line took forever to move but nobody was complaining, I guess we were all here for similar reasons. We bought some spark plugs and made our way out.

"See, most of them will act one way while you're dating but will change when you marry them." My father said as we pulled into a Mexican food restaurant.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah. You're mother didn't, she's pretty much the same then when I met her, except that she stresses easier now. I think that she's depressed because she ages faster than i do."

"Why? Are we running in dog years or something?"

"No, the werewolf in us keep us looking and feeling younger. She looked like she's fourth something while I look like I'm barely 30."

"Hmm..."

"Yeah, but most of them stay the same, those are the ones you want."

"I think that all women change."

"Men too... My father, your grandfather, told me that marriage changed a man."

"How long have you guys been married?"

"I don't know... I can't remember. I'd ask you mother but she'd probably break into tears and hit me with a frying pan, if I was to ask her right now."

We ordered our food and took our time eating. We talked about how he met my mother and where he grew up.

"Where is Erorala?" I asked when my father finished his story.

"About two hours away. We should go there sometime during December."

"Any lookers?"

"Some, but what do you care? You have a husky and I'm not talking about Jeremy."

"Speaking of..." I said as I pulled out my cell phone and looked at the message saying that I had four unread texts. Three were from Kassie and one was from Iris.

"She's already bugging you, huh?" My father asked.

"Yeah... Iris sent me one, too."

"I like Iris, she's really mellow."

"Did you know that Manuel is actually a cat?"

"Ha, I knew it!"

"Hey, Kassie wants to know if I could go over to meet her parents. She says that they will keep her grounded if I don't go."

"You gonna go?"

"Well... Yeah..."

"I'll drive you there later. Let me tell your mother, I don't think she likes her too much." my father said as I replied positively to Kassie's message.

"Helena likes her." I said.

"Yeah we'll Helena isn't your mother." My father started. "Remember Alexis?"

"She's still mad at me." I said.

Alexis was a girl that I was friends with when I was in middle school. I brought her home one time and my mother called her a whore before kicked her out, almost literally, simply because she tripped and fell into my arms.

"Woman are like cats..." My father said while eating some ice.

"Sometimes literally, in our family." I replied and we shared a laugh.

I looked at my phone again. Iris wanted to know if I was free for a movie tomorrow night. So I said sure and closed my phone.

"Don't put your phone away."

"Why?"

"Your mom is about to call."

"How do you-" I started and jumped when my phone rang.

My father took the phone from me and answered it without looking.

"Hey, baby. How are you?"

After about twenty minutes of talking my father finally hung the phone up and looked at me.

"How did you know that she was going to call you?"

"I've been married to your mother for years. I know her better than she knows herself."

We ordered food for my mother and sister then sat in our car as we waited.

"So what do you guys talk about?" My father asked me.

"Who?" I replied.

"You and Frenchy."

"Oh... Well we're talking about family right now. She has two brothers, and a step- sister. Her father is the chief of police."

A girl walked out of the restaurant and handed me the food we ordered. "Have a nice day." The girl said with a smile and walked away, making sure to shake her hips a little more than she should.

"Did she just flirt with me?" I asked.

"Girls can smell it when a guy is taken." My father said and drive off.

My parents spent some quality time in the living room when we got home. I walked up the stairs and knocked on my sisters door.

"What?" She asked then sniffed.

"Oh God, you're crying..." I said with a sigh.

"What do you want, Michael?"

"I brought you lunch."

"The door's opened."

I opened the door and stopped when I smelled the scented candles that she always kept in her room.

"You changed them..." I said.

"So..." Helena said as she lay in her bed with her back to me.

"I liked the vanilla ones..."

"They ran out..."

"Want a burrito?" I asked, not really knowing what to say.

"No..."

"Why not?"

"Because..."

"It's not like you're butt's going to get bigger."

I placed the white paper bag on her bed side dresser, next to two framed pictures, the first was taken on my sister's 18th birthday party.

All our cousins and family friends were in it: Helena was shoving cake into my face while making a cheerful expression. Sam struggled as Iris pulled his wolf tail and Manuel held him in a head lock. Aiden posed while his sisters, Joanna and Desiree, held Jimmy and Poe in their arms. Felix and Senna simply smiled. My uncle Jeffrey was passed out in the background. I remember him sleeping in our house for a week after that as my aunt kicked him out.

The second picture was taken a few months ago. It was in a park and only two people were in it. Zeke smiled as he carried my sister in his arms. Helena was in mid laugh with had one arm around the back of Zeke's neck and the other was used to make sure that her skirt didn't reveal any more than it should. I remember being the one who took the picture.

"You're going to make fun of me like always, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about? Do you want me to make fun of you?"

"You always do. You always make fun of me when you think that it helps me feel better."

"No I don't."

"Yes you do!"

"Prove it."

"You always call me stuff like round hips or something."

"... Or like she person..."

"Yeah..."

"Walking Coke bottle..."

"Uhuh..."

"Fourth week..."

"Okay, you could stop now..."

"A lesser."

"Okay, it's helping, stop!"

"Second in command."

"Quit it!" She said and started chuckling.

"Nail breaker."

She quickly stood up and shoved me slightly then threw her arms around me. She let her head rest on my back and exhaled deeply.

"All better?" I asked when she didn't let go of me.

She simply nodded slowly.

"You can cry if you want to." I said.

She simply shook her head quickly.

"You sure?"

"It's okay, really..." she replied and sniffed.

"Okay... Hey, one more."

"No."

"Come on..."

"No! Stop being sexist."

"Even if I take you to see a movie tomorrow?"

"... Fine."

"Ha, you kitchen dweller..."

She shoved me off the bed and giggled slightly. "You're such a jerk."

"I love you too, now eat your damn burrito!"

She didn't reply, she just sniffed again.

I sighed and got up then sat on her bed again. I didn't say anything, I just kept her company.

The silence was broken after what felt like an eternity.

"I miss him, Michael..." Helena whispered as she stared at the pictures in the dresser.

"I know you do..."

"I really do."

"I know..."

"I want to know what happened to him... Not only because he broke up with me but because of what's inside of him."

"I don't even know how to find him."

"Luna said something about him returning tomorrow night."

"Okay?"

"So I want to talk to him, if he does come back that is."

"Let me talk to him, you belong in the kitchen anyway." I replied and smiled.

"Okay, now you're dead." She said and jumped at me.

I dodged her and ran out of her room and made sure to close the door loudly.

"Thanks dad" I said as I stepped out of the car that night.

"Oui oui!" he replied.

"What?" I asked.

"I think it means 'yes'."

"Oh..."

"Either that or 'dusty potatoes'."

I shrugged as my father drove off. I turned to look at the blue single story house. It was large but cozy.

I saw Kassie wave at me nervously from the window. I waved back and took a deep breath.

"Okay, Mikey... You can do this." I mumbled to myself as the door opened and Kassie walked out and gave me a hug.

"Hi." she said.

"Hi." I replied.

"Are you nervous?"

"No."

"You look nervous."

"Maybe a little."

A woman stood by the door. She smiled as she waited for us to come closer.

The woman looked to be in her late 40's of not her early 50's. She was mid-sized and slender with long black hair. She graciously leaned on the frame of the door as she stared at us.

"One thing though..." Kassie whispered as she pulled me closer.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"They only speak a little English."

"This is turning out well."

"Well they know enough... My father speaks it better than my mother."

We walked closer and the woman took a step forward to shake my hand.

"Bon soir, monsieur Talbain. I am Sophia Josèphe, Kassandra's mother." Mrs. Josèphe said.

Kassie quickly whispered in my ear. "Bon soir means good evening."

"Oh, good evening Mrs. Josèphe."

"Mama, c'est Michael, mon petit ami." Kassie said to her mother and signaled at me.

"Kassandra, a man should speak for himself, no Mr. Talbain?" Mrs. Josèphe said playfully.

"No, I mean yes, ma'am. I am Michael Talbain, it's a pleasure to meet you." I said and extending my hand once more .

She shook my hand again and motioned for us to walk in.

"Want a tea cup?" Mrs. Josèphe asked me.

"Huh?" I replied.

"A cup of tea." Kassie informed me.

"Oh yes, thank you."

"Okay give me a minute." Mrs. Josèphe said and walked into the kitchen. Kassie led me from the foyer to the comfortable living room. We sat down in the sofa that was on the edge of the living room.

"Fabian! 'Enry! Andrea! Le petit ami de Kassandra est ici! Venez dire salut!" Mrs. Josèphe yelled out from the kitchen.

"Huh?" I asked Kassie.

"Don't you know any French?" She asked.

"I know some Spanish."

"How's that working out?"

"Not that great."

Kassie giggled as two guys and a girl walked out of a room in the end of the hall and stood in front of us.

Both guys looked a little older than me, the first had brown hair and light blue eyes. He was regularly shaped and about 5'8. He wore a nice dress shirt and some dark blue jeans.

"Hey Michael, I'm Fabian. So someone is finally taking one for the team, I see." He said and pounded my fist. His voice wasn't as deep as I thought it would be.

The second guy had black hair and brown eyes. He wore a black shirt and some camo shorts. He was the same height and build as his brother.

"I'm Henry, good to meet you." He said as he also pounded my fist.

The girl smiled at me. She had an average body type. Her blond hair, green eyes and darker skin made it easy to see that she must be adopted. She wore some shorts and a plain t-shirt.

"Hi, Michael. I'm Andrea, don't listen to these clowns, Kassandra is really nice." She said.

"Guess who's older." Fabian said and laughed out slightly.

"Uh..." I started as I looked them both over.

Henry surreptitiously pointed at his brother.

"You?" I said.

"Lucky guess!" Fabian said.

"Technically," Mrs. Josèphe started as she walked into the living room with a tray that held six mugs and a boiling pot of tea. "They're twins, but Fabian was born first and for some reason he has brown hair. Fabian que te dire ?"

"Pardonne, mama." Fabian mumbled as his hair changed to more of a natural black.

Kassie took the tray from her mother and set it on the coffee table.

"Cool! My aunt and uncle, well they're more of a family friend, they have twins."

"Oh, c'est fantastique ! Are they... Um fils too?"

"I'm sorry?" I said.

"Fils de l'obscurité, comment c'est dire..."

"Oh, Darkstalkers! Yes , they are."

"Oh good. Andrea is not one. She is a regular human, her mother and father passed away when she was young."

"Oh, it must be difficult." I said.

"It's okay, I'm just happy that I'm not picking up all the dog droppings." She laughed out.

"You still can if you want." Fabian said, smartly.

"Bad dog!" Andrea said lightly tapped Fabian in the nose.

"Kids, stop it! My husband also human, we got married and he was shocked when he found out. Poor thing could not figure out why his sons had a tail." Mrs. Josèphe said with an amused tone.

"Mom was scared that he would leave her if he found out. So she waited until she was forced to tell him." Kassie said.

"Yes he wasn't too... Um... Qu'est le mot..."

"Fond?" Fabian suggested.

"Oui, merci! He wasn't too fond of the fils de l'obscurité until I showed him that I was one."

Fabian and Henry excused themselves and walked back into their room as we continued talking for a few more minutes until the front door opened. A tall man walked into the room. He was tall and slender with short black hair.

He greeted everyone as he walked in and hung his coat on a coat rack. He held a DVD in his hand.

Andrea moved to hug the man then announced that she was going to her room.

Mrs. Josèphe said something then stood up and kissed the man quickly. She then said something in French. The man turned to look at me and smiled.

"Salut, Michael ! Ça va ?" He said and shook my hand quickly.

"Uh..." I started.

"Papa, il ne parle pas Français..." Kassie said as she moved to hug her father.

"Oh, je suis désolé... Hello Michael, how are you?"

"I'm good Mr. Josèphe. It's good to meet you."

"Please call me, Jerald. Just because my hair is old doesn't mean I am." he said and laughed. "Hey do you like Le soccer ?"

"Soccer? A little." I replied.

"Très bien ! Kassandra, I like this one!" Mr. Josèphe said and threw his arm around me while laughing.

Iris, Senna, Helena and I walked out of the theater half an hour before the movie ended. We walked down the lobby in disappointment.

Senna came by to drop off a pitcher that her mother, Alexandria Ayalando, had borrowed from my mother so I invited her to tag along. Senna was a tomboy so while the girls were busy playing house, Senna was with us guys as we blew up frogs and tp'd the neighbor's houses. She wasn't our cousin but we grow up together so she was practically family.

"That was ass!" Senna and I said as we walked through the doors. We both turned to look at each other and smiled.

"Yeah... What the hell was it about anyway?" Iris asked.

"Zombies, I think..." Helena replied.

"Zombie-aliens." I added.

"Zombie-alien invaders from Mars that are smart enough to drive." Senna continued.

"That was stupid!" I repeated.

"Did you guys go see Zombie Wars?" The girl in the ticket booth asked us.

"Yeah." I replied.

"That movie is ass, do you want your money back?" She replied and typed some numbers on the register.

"Sure." I replied and took our money from her.

"Anytime, love."

We walked home in the dark. We all shifted our human eyes to our animal ones to be able to see better. The half moon wasn't enough to illuminate the streets and someone took it upon themselves to break half the lights in the light posts the night before.

"Girlie was flirting with you." Helena said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Zoom, right over your head." Iris said laughing.

"I was being sarcastic." I replied.

"Liar." Helena added.

I replied to a couple of texts from Kassie as she was still grounded for leaving her house like she did that night.

"Can you tell that woman to leave you alone for an hour?" Senna said in an annoyed tone.

"I don't think that it'll work." I replied and opened my phone when I received another message.

"See, when I get a boyfriend, I won't be this clingy." Iris continued and tried looking at the message.

"It's no worse than Helena." I said after hitting the send button.

"I am not clingy!" Helena protested.

"Yes you are, remember the backpack thing?" I replied.

"Shut up, that was a one time thing." Helena replied.

"What backpack thing?" Senna asked.

"Nothing." Helena snapped.

"She had me stuff her into her backpack and throw her in through Zeke's window one day." I said as I read a new text. "I had to fight the temptation of locking her in there and digging a hole in the backyard."

"What backpack?" Iris asked.

"Her small pink and black one." I replied and opened my phone.

"Holy crap! How did you even fit in that thing?" Iris asked, honestly curious.

"I don't want to talk about it." Helena said.

"I've been told that she is REALLY flexible." I said and closed my phone.

"I thought that only us cats were flexible..." Iris said.

"I did too, remember your grandma Felicia?" Senna replied.

"Oh yeah..." Iris said.

"What about grandma Felicia?" I asked.

"You don't want to know." Helena replied.

"Yes I do, I'm curious now." I replied.

"She can turn into an almost perfect ball." Senna said.

"Cool!" I let out.

"Not really, think of the all the kinky ways that grandma and grandpa must have done it..." Helena replied.

"Oh my God! Ew! Thanks for the mental image." Iris said.

"Welcome to my world." I added and forced a very disturbing image aside.

"You guys are dumb." Helena said.

"Whatever, I'm tired of walking, carry me, doggy." Iris said and jumped on my back. I hunched and held her up so she wouldn't fall over.

"You want me to hump your leg too?" I asked sarcastically.

"Who am I, Ms. Joseph?"

"Josèphe!"

"Whatever, mush!"

"Tell me what you want!" Kassie said as she sat on top of me while i lay in bed. She was in her full husky form: Her body was showed off by the beautiful dog's tight fur.

"I want you!" I said and tried to sit up but she forced me back down with her dog paw.

"How bad do you want me?" she asked as her muzzle disappeared into her face and the gray on her back turned into her blazing red hair. A freckles started appearing on her face as it became more human like.

"I want you bad! So bad!" I said.

Her paws and arms changed back into their slender human form. "Why is that?"

"Because you're what I want." I said.

Her legs changed back to her human selves up until her crotch area. She looked like she was wearing a white one piece swim suit made of dog fur.

She knelt down and licked my cheek. "Call me your bitch and some more comes off."

"You are... My bitch!" I said.

The centerpiece of her fur disappeared until she only wore two strips of fur, one for her bust and one for her crotch area.

"Say that you're this bitch's master and the rest dissapears." She whispered in my ear.

"I am your master." I said.

"You are my master and..."

"I am your master and... You are my bitch." I added.

She moved away and lifted her hands to hold her hair up as the small patches of fur slowly disappeared.

I woke up in the middle of the night and realized that i was dreaming. I sighed and saw Iris as she lay asleep next to me. She had stayed the night and decided to sleep on my bed with me. I looked around but didn't see Helena. She had been asleep in the love seat that my parents had placed in my room for temporary storage a few years back. Senna was stretched out on the floor as she snored lightly and scratched her stomach.

I got up and Iris immediately moved to take up the entire bed while groaning and muttered something about jelly beans and pizza.

I stepped over Senna as she groaned. "Felix, give Uni back to me..." she grunted then shifted slightly.

I smiled and started to head for the door.

"But I want to be with you..." I heard someone say outside.

I walked to the opened window and saw my sister talking to Zeke on the other side of the fence.

"Then come with me, i'll be yours if you become mine." Zeke said as I listened by my window.

"I can't just leave, my family would worry." Helena said.

"So I guess you don't love me."

"Yes, Zeke! Yes I do!" I sister cried out.

"Then take my hand..."

I tried to yell out but I only was able to whimper. Zeke turned to look at me with a very nerve breaking expression. I moved to jump out of the window and it forced itself closed on top of my hands. I tried to free myself from the window's hold as my sister looked at me.

She mouthed the words "sorry" and took Zeke's hand. He pulled her close then stroked her hair for a second before whispering something in Helena's ear that made her body go limp.

Zeke held Helena's motionless body for a second before letting her drop to the floor, carelessly, then disappeared.

"How did you know that I was here?" I heard Zeke say from behind me.

I turned and saw Zeke standing right behind me. I tried forcing my hand free again but the window forced itself tighter.

"Leave my sister alone." I groaned.

"That is your sister isn't it?" Zeke said and stood still as if to try and remember something. "Yes..."

"I'll kill you of you touch her again." I grunted as it was difficult to talk.

"You won't do a damn thing, doggy!" Zeke let out and moved closer but was forced to the ground by Senna who had jumped on him.

"How about if I do something instead?" Senna let out and punched Zeke upside his head.

Zeke didn't flinch or move in any way, he simply took Senna's repeated blows without hesitation. After a few seconds Senna stopped but didn't get off.

Zeke laughed quickly and Senna and I gasped when his head slowly turned backwards. He stared at Senna with a malicious look then said something that sent a chill through my body.

Senna collapsed to the side as Zeke stood up again. "Yes, she will do..." He said and adjusted his head back into position and dusted himself off.

"What did you do?" I asked as I tried to kick Zeke but he was just out of reach. I tried changing into werewolf form but it didn't happen.

"I wouldn't worry about it, doggy. They won't remember a thing. I'm bored, you see, so stirring things up around here might be fun for a while, don't you think." Zeke said then bent down and lifted Senna's body by her hair. "A werewolf... And a white tiger... Yes, This will do." he dragged Senna around the room until he stood by Iris, who still lay, undisturbed in my bed. I didn't know if Zeke had made her stay asleep of if she was just a deep sleeper.

"Don't you touch her!" I let out and struggled to break free from the windows tightening hold.

"Yes... I don't have any use for a cat..." He said then turned to look at me. "You could join me! This world will be mine and you could be with me or against me." Zeke said and moved closer.

I took the chance to kick him as hard as I could with my right leg. He didn't even flinch. Zeke sighed and held Senna's limp body up like she was some sort of prized catch.

"That's too bad... I could have used another werewolf. Maybe I'll settle for a dog, a husky would do... Yes... Someone to do some tricks for entertainment." Zeke let out as he amused himself by watching my expression change.

"Don't you dare touch her or I'll-"

He was instantly in my face. His eyes were replaced by a dark red flame. The room reaked of brimstone. "You'll do what?" He started. His voice sounded dark, ancient and intimidating. "You won't do a fucking thing! And you know why? Because you're nothing more than a useless... Undeserving... Pathetic excuse of a Darkstalker!"

"What's going on in here?" I heard my father say as he forced the door open.

My father stared at Zeke who stared back at him with the same expression he had been looking at me. My mother moved from behind my father and shrieked when she saw Zeke. Iris bolted upright as she looked around then yelled when she saw the fire in Zeke's eyes.

Zeke laughed loudly and held up Senna's motionless body again. "I think I'm done here."

"What the fuck have you done with her?" my father said and quickly shifted into his werewolf form and growled as a black energy manifested around him. He threw himself at Zeke who quickly threw Senna's body towards the wall. A small black portal opened right before her body hit and was sucked into it. Zeke then combusted into flames and disappeared. My father forced himself to a stop in front of me.

"Michael, what-" My father started but I cut him off.

"Dad, he has Helena! Look!" I said and signaled for him to look outside.

My father punched the window that was holding me in place then pulled it off and threw it aside. He growled loudly when he saw Zeke dragging both Senna and my sister by their hair as he walked towards a portal made of a black flame.

My father jumped over me and threw himself at Zeke but was forced to stop when Zeke held the girls bodies in front of him as if their were his shield.

My father crash landed next to Zeke then rolled on all fours.

Zeke laughed then quickly swung Helena and Senna's bodies, as if they were nothing more than a blunt weapon. The impact sent my father flying through the fence with a force so strong that my father kept rolling until he hit the tree in our back yard. My father shifted slowly as the wind had been knocked out of him.

I jumped out of the window and was relieved when i was able to change into my werewolf form. I landed on all fours and ran toward Zeke who held his hand up which made my body freeze completely. Zeke gestured abruptly and I was thrown left and right until I had broken most of the fence that divided our houses before he let me drop. I lay on the ground as blood oozed out of several cuts.

"I could kill you all, if I wanted." Zeke let out and held his hand in my direction.

I felt as if something was crushing my body. It felt as if I was being crushed by an invisible forceI grunted at first then yelled out as the pain became unbearable.

Zeke grinned then stopped when my mother hit him with a metal bat.

Zeke turned around and moved his hand around my mother's throat. He lifted her off the ground.

"I've no use for a human female!" Zeke said.

I groaned as I forced myself onto my feet. I saw my father do the same. The werewolf blood was quickly healing our injuries.

"Let go... Of my... Daughter!" My mother gasped as she kicked Zeke a few times in the chest.

"I think I'll kill you now!" Zeke said and tightened his hold around my mother's throat.

My mother gasped out loudly.

"Ezekiel!" I heard someone yell.

We all turned to see Zeke's step mother standing at the edge of her house in her night robe.

Zeke grinned then stopped and dropped My mother, Senna and my sister. Zeke fell to his knees and hold his head.

"Mom! Stay back!" I head Zeke cry out.

"Ezekiel!" Mrs. Simmons cried out.

I moved closer and Zeke turned to look at me.

"Michael... The library! Remember the libra-" Zeke let out then stood still. He started laughing and stood back up.

"Disregard that last part." Zeke said with a different voice. He picked Senna and my sister by their hair again and tossed them into the black flame. My mother cried out and ran towards Zeke who simply held his hand up and tossed my mother into the portal.

"No!" my father yelled and ran to Zeke who moved out of the way at the last second and kicked my father in the stomach then slammed him on the side of his house several times before letting him drop.

I jumped at Zeke but was forced to stop in front of him. I floated in the air as he stared at me "Think about it dog, I don't need you but I could use you."

I was thrown backwards and hit the wall of my house hard. I gasped loudly as I saw Zeke step into the portal and disappeared.

I tried yelling something but ended up spitting blood instead.

Mr. and Mrs. Simmons ran towards my father then to me. Mr. Simmons helped me up as I hurt everywhere.

"I have to find her..." my father said then collapsed.

Mr. and Mrs. Simmons moved to check on my father as I struggled to stay up. I moved closer, one step at a time, until my legs gave in and I fell to the floor. I saw Iris running towards me. She yelled something but I couldn't hear her. She shook me wildly but I didn't feel it as My vision blurred and i fell asleep with blood running down my face.


	8. Chapter 8: My Name Is

_Chapter 8_: **My Name Is...**

"Are you sure you're a man because you got your ass whooped like a bitch!"

"What?" I asked.

"Don't you 'what' me, boy! I didn't think that I had to say anything but I was wrong!"

"Who are you?"

"What the f- you too? You werewolves think that you have this down! That you don't need us, well let me tell you something mister: you'd be nothing without me!"

"What do you want?"

"Asshole! What the hell would I want?"

"I don't know..."

"Of course you don't... You never know what you want, just like your daddy and his daddy... That doesn't even know my name!"

"What is your name?"

"You too? You male werewolves are inconsiderate."

"How about you tell me what your name is."

"You know my name. I've told you before."

"Whatever."

"Fuck you! Now get up, she won't stop crying."

"Who's crying? Wait who are you?"

"Ask your granddaddy!"

I slowly woke up to the sound of someone crying. My vision was blurry, but I was able to make out four different shapes in the room.

"He's awake!"

"Oh God, Michael!"

My sore body ached as I tried moving. My vision finally adjusted in time to see my grandfather move and help me sit up.

"Take it easy, Michael. You've lost a lot of blood." My grandfather said.

"Grandpa, what happened? Where am I?"

"You're in your room; Iris called us as soon as your neighbors brought you here." He replied.

"M'ija stop crying, he's okay." I heard someone say. I turned and saw my Uncle Jeffrey nod at me as he held Iris who cried into his shoulder. "It takes a lot more than that to kill a family member."

"He'll be okay. He just needs to heal." I heard a familiar voice say.

I turned and saw Mr. J'ariso standing by my bed side. Mr. J'ariso was a family friend, even before I was born. He had been friends with my grandparents ever since I could remember. He was a veterinarian, but is now retired. His son took over the veterinarian clinic after his retirement.

"Hey, Mr. J." I mumbled.

"How are you feeling Michael?"

"Like I was hit by a train." I replied.

"No, you'd probably be better off if you got hit by a train."

"That's good to know."

"You'd be dead if you weren't a werewolf, just to let you know."

"Wow... I'm so lucky."

"Thanks for your help, again, Mr. J'ariso." My grandfather said.

"You got it. Now if you excuse me, I have to check on Jonathan then I'm off. I told the Mrs. that I'd bring her some ice cream."

He tipped an imaginary hat and walked out of the room.

"I love the guy but I still feel weird about calling the vet." My grandfather said.

I laughed slightly but stopped when I felt a pain in my ribs.

"Take it easy, Michael. Just because we heal quick doesn't mean that we can't get the shit beat out of us." My grandfather said.

"I'm okay, where's dad?" I asked.

"He's in his room. He's in better condition than you are. What happened anyway? Iris didn't tell us everything."

I filled them in on what happened and what Ai said that one night. My uncle made the sign of the cross, on his chest and mumbles something in Spanish when I mentioned that a demon might be possessing of him.

"He must be strong if he whooped both your asses." My grandfather said smartly.

"Poor Christine, man." Uncle Jeffrey started. "The chick's been kidnapped, like what, twice now?"

"Three times." My grandfather corrected him.

"Damn. One more time and she get's the fifth time free." My uncle replied but nobody laughed. Instead he got a slap upside the head when my grandmother walked inside of the room.

"Always acting the fool... Iris, honey, how are you?" My grandmother said as she moved and took Iris from Jeffrey.

"I'm good Grandma." Iris let out as she hugged her grandmother.

"That's good. You did everything you could, remember that."

"Okay..."

My grandmother let go of Iris and adjusted her extremely long blue hair before walking over to me.

"Michael, I'm glad you're okay." She said.

"Thanks, Grandma Felicia." I said and ignored when she winched slightly.

My grandparents helped me to my feet a few minutes later but I was forced back onto the bed again when Iris jumped at me, while she apologized for not helping. I told her that it was okay but she was always the sentimental kind.

An hour passed and I lay on my bed in my werewolf form. Iris lay asleep next to me. I sighed and tried standing up when the door slowly opened.

My grandfather walked back into the room.

"Grandpa?" I asked.

"Shhh you'll wake Iris." He said.

"I don't think that mom and dad, during date night, could do that..." I replied and poked Iris three times in her right cheek then smiled when she didn't even change her expression.

"Really?" My grandfather asked me.

"Yeah, look." I passed the fur on my arm by Iris's face to try and make her sneeze but she didn't even move or react in any way.

"What a weird girl."

"She's your granddaughter..." I said.

"She's your cousin..." He replied.

"What's up, grandpa?" I asked as I stood up. I didn't hurt anymore. I looked myself over and saw a good amount of dried blood on my fur but no cuts: the werewolf blood works wonders.

"Who were you talking to before you woke up?" He asked me.

"Nobody... No wait there was a voice. I think it was female."

"What was she called?"

"I don't know... She didn't want to tell me."

"Was she yelling at you and calling you useless and stuff?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, that sounds like her..."

"Who?"

"Before I met your grandmother, I had this voice in my head that kept telling me to hurt people and the such. It was always instigating me into doing something I didn't always want to do."

"So it's a bad thing?"

"Not really. I mean, bloody hell, following what she said kept me alive. I later found out that the voice was a mental manifestation of my instincts."

"So... She voices my instincts?"

"Yes and no... If I understand her correctly and I don't as some woman are overly complicated, like your grandmother! Did you know that she got mad at me for eating three cookies the other day?"

"Yeah, that sounds like grandma."

"Ha! Well anyway. I believe that she is the voice of your werewolf instincts. I also believe that she won't manifest unless you call her by her name of if she was scared of getting dying."

"So you've talked to her before?"

"I've talked to a similar voice. I believe that it might be the same, as we are family."

"What was her name?"

"I never found out... She would never tell me, she complained about me not knowing it too."

"Yeah that sounds like her."

"I just wanted to tell you what I knew."

"Does she still talk to you?" I asked as I stuck two of Iris's fingers inside of her nose then chuckled when she started breathing through her mouth.

"Are you sure that she's not dead?" My grandfather asked and closed Iris's mouth. She coughed loudly and mumbled something so we both let go. She groaned slightly then rolled off the bed.

My grandfather and I looked at each other then walked over and saw her start to curl up on the floor and fall into a deep sleep again.

"Our family is weird." My grandfather said.

"Yeah." I replied as my grandfather picked Iris up and placed her on the bed.

"But to answer your question: no. She said goodbye shortly after your father and aunt were born. She said that I didn't need her any more and vanished. She called me an asshole and told me that she would be dormant until I needed her again."

"How do make her manifest?" I asked.

My grandfather shrugged slightly then tapped my arm and walked out. I decided to play with Iris a little more.

I sat on the kitchen table the following morning. Aunt Lilian and grandma Felicia were in the kitchen making breakfast. I was surprised that nobody had said anything about my mother or sister yet.

"Michael, why was there a baby carrot in my nose when I woke up and why is my hand bandaged up and covered in what might have been ice at one time?" Iris asked from behind me.

I turned back and saw my cousin standing at the bottom of the stairs with a baby carrot in her hand. Her left hand had a thick layer of bandages tapped together to keep the water, that had once been ice, from leaking out. She had one slipper on, that matched her light blue pajamas. Her hair was messed up and everywhere as she just had gotten up. I didn't have the heart to tell her that her painted on mustache was crooked.

"I don't know, you woke up in the middle of the night and headed downstairs. So maybe you were sleep eating." I lied.

Iris walked closer to me and unbandaged her hand then dumped the water in my head then threw the baby carrot at me and stuffed the bandages into my shirt. "I'm sure that's what happened." She said sarcastically and walked back upstairs.

I shook off the water from my head as aunt Lilian walked closer.

"You have to stop messing with Iris." She can't help that she could sleep through the apocalypse.

"For fuck sakes, MICHAEL!" Iris let out when she reached the upstairs bathroom.

"Well I was going to go with Jell-O but we didn't have any." I replied while snickering.

"You are your father's son." She said and walked away after placing a plate in front of me.

My father walked into the kitchen and kissed his mother and sister on the cheek. A round of good mornings were said as he took a plate of food and headed for the table.

"Morning, Michael!" He said as he stuffed his mouth with food.

"Morning, dad. When are you going to start looking for mom and Helena?" I asked.

"For what?" He started as he drank some coffee. "They went to Europe with Senna remember... They said something about a fashion expo."

I raised a brow and quickly understood what had happened. Zeke must have erased his memory too.

"Yeah... I remember." I said slowly and dug into my food.

"Honestly I never thought that Senna would go for anything like that but hey... Maybe she's finally strengthening out."

"Who's finally strengthening out?" A voice said from behind me.

I turned and saw Rey Ayalando walk into the kitchen as he greeted the women. Alexandria walked in after him and started helping my aunt and grandmother.

"Hey, Rey." My father said as he stood up and gave him a side hug.

"You guys talking about my baby girl?" Ray said as he sat down. Alexandria walked over and handed him a plate of food and kissed him quickly.

"Yeah. I find it weird that she went to that fashion thing with Christine and Helena." My father said.

"Man I tell you: I don't know what's up with that girl. I thought she swung for the other team for a little bit. But she has a boyfriend, apparently. I thought I would be mad but I'm actually relieved. Did i tell you about my dream?"

"Nuh uh." My father grunted through a mouth full of bacon and potatoes.

"I actually had a dream where I let her borrow my tuxedo on her wedding day." Ray said as he picked up his fork and stabbed a bacon strip.

Ray and my father laughed. "Yeah she's an interesting one. How's Felix doing?" My father asked.

"He's good. He's moving out next month. Nearly broke Alie's heart."

My grandfather walked into the room and sat down to my right as my aunt Lilian set a plate in front of him.

"Jonathan, when did you say that Christine was coming back?" My grandfather asked.

"In about a week. More if they're having fun." My father replied.

"Alright because I can't keep letting you borrow your mother to make you food. I still need to eat." My grandfather said playfully.

"I can cook enough for both of you." My grandmother said as she placed a gallon of orange juice and a couple of empty glasses on the table.

"Yeah but I want you to myself." My grandfather said and pulled Felicia and sat her on his lap.

"Oh yeah? For what?" My grandmother asked playfully and started purring.

"We'll think of something." My father said and kissed my grandmother playfully.

"Ew! Mom! Dad!" My father said.

"What?" My grandfather asked with a smile on his face.

My grandmother laughed and looked back at my father. "How did they get Senna to tag along?" My grandmother asked and both Ray and my father nearly chocked on their food.

"That's what we were talking about!" Ray laughed out.

I stared at my grandfather after my grandmother walked off. I had told him what happened this morning so either he was playing along or Zeke had erased everyone's memory after they left my room in the AM.

"Grandpa..." I started and moved closer.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Don't you remember what I told you this morning about my mom and sister being kidnapped last night?"

"What? No she's on a trip... She left last night right before you got attacked by that big dog that also destroyed your neighbor's fence. Are you sure you're okay?" He asked while looking at me.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah." My grandfather started. "I think that you need rest, Michael."

I finished eating as everyone else sat down for breakfast. I headed back upstairs after excusing myself then walked to the bathroom door and knocked when I heard the shower running.

"Who is it?" I heard Iris yell out.

"It's Michael." I said.

"What do you want? Are you going to shove a potato in me now?" Iris said after she turned the water off.

"What the f-?" I heard my uncle Jeffrey say from downstairs after everyone stopped talking, so they could listen to us.

"I'll wait for you to get out." I said and walked into my room as laughter could be heard from downstairs.

I walked into my room and looked out of the window as Mr. Simmons griped while fixing the fence. I let my werewolf ears manifest and I was able to hear him saying something about a large dog. Mrs. Simmons walked out cheerfully and handed her husband a hammer as Luna held the fence boards so her uncle could nail them into place.

"They don't remember do they?" I heard a voice say. It sounded like it came from everywhere at once.

I looked around but didn't see anyone. "It's you again..." I replied.

"Who else would it be?"

"Someone useful."

"So I'm useless?"

"I'm assuming, I don't even know your name or what you are."

"You are a slow learner. Didn't your granddaddy explain me to you? I know he did... Maybe you should ask him again, unless the psychic boy already erased him memories again."

"When was he here?"

"When you went downstairs to get the bandages and ice for the pussy cat."

"Why didn't he erase my memory?"

"BECAUSE YOU HAVE ME YOU STUPID PIECE OF IGNORANT SHIT!"

"Are you always a bitch?"

"Well since I am the instincts of a wolf: yes, thank you for noticing."

"So when are you going to look for your mom and sister?" Iris asked after she let herself in. I didn't even hear my door open.

I hid my werewolf ears and looked back. She had nothing more than a towel on as she tilted her head and dried off her hair while holding her glasses in her mouth.

"You remember?" I asked.

"Of course I do." She said and sat in front of the mirror that sat on my dresser.

"My father doesn't. Nobody does." I said.

"Did he do it again?" Iris asked and put her glasses on.

"Who Zeke? It looks that way." I replied and sat on my bed.

"So what are we going to do?" Iris asked as she dried her hair with a smaller towel.

"I don't know. I think we should find that Ai woman, she could bring back repressed memories with that flower thing. We could use it on my father and go look for my mom and sister."

"Sounds good."

We sat in silence as we listened to Mr. Simmons yell after he hit his hand with the hammer.

A towel landed on my head as it covered my vision.

"Don't take the towel off." Iris said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because I'm changing."

"Why do you think that I want to take the towel off."

"You'd see your own cousin naked?" Iris asked in an accusing tone.

"Wouldn't be the first time."

I heard the voice in my head laugh wildly. "Ask the pussy to let you see her p-" She started but iris helped me tune her out.

"Okay, that was on accident and we were like 6." Iris said as as i heard her looking through my drawer.

"You're so weird." I replied.

"Where's my spare?"

I pointed at towards the bottom cabinet of the far drawer.

"You're not peeking are you?" She asked as she opened the drawer.

"It's my room, I know where everything is."

"I have to come back and straighten all these out for you one day, look at this mess!"

"You sound like my mother."

"Awe I didn't want to wear a skirt today..."

"Nor did I, so I didn't."

"Shut up."

"Is Ai home?" Iris asked when Denise, Zeke's co-worker, answered the door.

"Yeah she's downstairs. Come on in." She said and waved us in.

"Giddy up!" Luna said as she knees me in the ribs and pulled on the improvised reins as she sat on my back.

We asked Luna if she remembered where Ai lived. Luna said that she did but she wanted to tag along. So she placed a new set of clothing line over my muzzle, since I purposely bit through the old one, and rode me to Ai's house.

I jerked my head forward, pulling the improvised reins, and Luna cried out.

"Whoah horsey!" Luna taunted me as I carried her inside.

"I am not a horse!" I mumbled through the clothing line.

"Of course you are, I'll get you a nice carrot and some sugar when we get home. You're such a good horsey" Luna laughed out then pet my head slowly.

"I am going to rape you..." I said as I walked through the foyer on all fours.

"I don't like it doggy, hyah!" Luna said and kneed my ribs again.

"I'm done." I said and stood up on two feet then turned back to my human form. Luna fell off and stared at me.

"You're such a jerk..." Luna said as she rubbed her bottom.

"It's better than being your horse." I said then smiled when Luna stuck her tongue out at me.

The house was large and elegant. A single blue and white flower stood in a base as we walked through the kitchen. Denise opened the basement door and signaled for us to walk downstairs. I led the girls down the steps as classical music could be heard. We finally reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around. The smell of wet flowers and pollen was in the air. I looked around and there were several different colored flowers, of the same family, sitting in different vases. A lot of flowers had hand written notes stuck on their planters.

"It's you again..." I heard Ai say from behind a row of flowers. She walked closer and looked us over. "What do you want?"

We explained the situation in great length and she just nodded and made noises in the right places.

"Well I would help you but you're not part of our group and not only that; you said that stopping Mammon wasn't your problem, didn't you?"

"It just became our problem." I said.

"Yeah well, it's a bit too late."

I shifted into werewolf form and jumped on Ai who yelled but stopped when I placed my muzzle right on her face.

"You will help us!" I said in a low growl.

"Michael!" Iris and Luna let out while pulling me back from Ai.

"That's what I wanted to hear." A voice said from behind me.

I turned to see a man in his late 50's smiling at me as he walked closer. He had a stained lab coat and thin glasses. His salt and pepper hair dated the man.

"Welcome to Nanandraphy. All of you." He started and bowed slightly at Iris and Luna who were still busy trying to pull me back, even though I wasn't doing anything.

"Who are you?" I asked as I stepped off Ai and changed back into human form then stood back up.

"I am Dr. Larry Monroe." He started as he walked closer and helped Ai up. "I work with these plants to bring our their true potential, it seems that you've already met my assistant: Aeissa. Now what can we do for you?"

I briefly explained the situation and why we were here. The doctor simply nodded as I told my story.

"Well why do you two remember all this? I doubt that he just wanted you two to remember." Dr. Monroe said.

"I don't know... Maybe it's because of this voice I keep hearing."

The doctor raised a brow and stared back at me. Iris, Luna and Ai looked at me as if I'd finally gone insane.

"You hear a voice?" The doctor said.

"Yes" I started. "I know that it sounds crazy-"

"... And how long have you been hearing this voice?"

"Since this morning."

"What's it's name?"

"Yes Mikey, what is my name?" I heard the voice say.

"I actually don't know it's name." I admitted.

"Dumbass, it isn't that hard, I've told you many times before." The voice said.

"Interesting..." The doctor said. "Aeissa, bring 1-1-5."

"Yes, doctor." Ai said and walked off.

"You see..." Started doctor Monroe as he walked closer to me. He took a small flashlight and examined my right eye for a second. "Male darkstalkers, especially the animal kind, have a harder time listening to their instincts than their female counterparts. So they repress and even ignore the poor things. Eventually there comes a time where they need the instincts and it manifests to something real and fictional at the same time. The instincts normally reveal themselves, in one way or another, to the animal Darkstalker before they hit puberty. They talk to our subconscious mind and direct what we do and how we act but if the Darkstalker ignores and disregards it, then it almost literally disappears until it is needed. But by that point it is normally either really angry that you have ignored it or it is unresponsive and will completely refuse to help you. It sounds like you have the angry one. Is yours female?"

"Yes." I admitted.

"Most canine Darkstalkers have a female spirits... Except for foxes... They actually have a male, odd when you think about it." The doctor went on but stopped when Ai came back with a purple and blue plant.

"Here you are, doctor." Ai said, handing the flower over.

"Thank you child." He said and held the flower on my direction. "Smell it, boy."

I leaned forward and smelled the flower. I instantly felt dizzy and stumbled back. Everyone stared, not at me but at where I was. I looked around and a fly was suspended in mid flap. I poked it but it didn't budge or move at all. I looked around and noticed Iris leaning to get a better look. She looked so eerie as she was frozen in time with the rest. Luna stood there with her arms held up as she was stretching at the time. I walked around and poked both of them a few times then smiled when nothing happened. I reached inside of Luna's pants and pulled her bright pink panties as far up as I could. I smiled at the massive wedgie I had given her.

"Who's the horsey now, bitch?" I mumbled.

"You do get entertained easily don't you?" I heard a woman say.

I turned around and saw a woman leaning on the doctor. I flinched when I noticed that she looked a lot like me, or at least how I might look of I was a female. She had a black wolf tail and a pair of black wolf ears, with white tips, coming out of her. She was scantly dressed, with her black fur with white edges covered her bust in an x formation. Her crotch area was covered by similar looking fur with slim white fur lines that connected with the rest of the animal coat that started just above her knees and continued as wolf paws. Her pawed hands waved and gestures as if having a body was still new to the woman.

"Who are you?" I asked defensively and shifted into my werewolf form. The woman immediately lost all her fur and stood naked in front of me.

"No, no..." She said as she wagged a finger in my direction.

I forcefully shifted back into human form as the fur on the woman's body returned abruptly.

"Good boy." She said and stopped right in front of me.

"Are you..." I started as I felt defenseless for the first time in my life.

"Do you enjoy that feeling? Do you enjoy feeling like you just lost something very important? Do you enjoy knowing that someone can just take who and what you are from you at a moments notice?" She said.

I stepped back and tried changing into my werewolf form again and again but the woman simply smiled and forced me back into my human form every time.

"Now you know I feel, Michael." She started and extended her claws.

I tried changing once more and grunted loudly when I was forced into human form. I jumped at the woman to try and subdue her but she simply moved out of the way.

She forced me onto the ground with one foot on my back. I tried pushing her off but she held me down with supernatural strength. She quickly tied a collar and leash around my neck and pulled them back. "Now you know what it's like to be diminished and ignored by someone. How do you feel?"

I tried to say something but was only able to make choking noises.

"How does it feel to have your very existence be on the life of another?" The woman asked then let me go.

I rolled on my back and stared at the woman's familiar silver eyes. She sat on my chest then grabbed my chin with her pawed hand and smiled.

"Who are you?" I gasped.

She smiled and licked her lips.

She jumped up and took a few paces back then gestures with a curtsy and smiled. "I am your thoughts! I am the one who decides what you are! I am the one who thinks what you think before you even think about thinking it! I am the one who makes you feel! I am the one who says 'hey, that's a bad idea'!" The woman said as she danced and spun and gestured with extremely elegance. "I am the one who makes you care! The one who makes you mad and sad! The one who gives you the passion that you want... I... Am your instincts! I am your soul... I am..." The woman fell on all fours and walked by my side then bent down and whispered in my ear. "I am... Umbra."

"Umbra..." I repeated and turned to look at the woman who sat like a dog by me. The leash and collar disappeared from my neck and manifested around hers.

She had her head down as if she was bowing to me. I stood up and touched her soft wolf ears cautiously. She didn't move as I looked her over.

"You are my instincts?" I asked.

"Among other things." She said and looked up at me.

"Like what?"

"Apart from what I mentioned, I am also the thing that makes you a Darkstalker and the one who made your daddy and his daddy one. I was given to your family line. I imprint myself into each of you so the being you see here is a mental imprint of me inside of you. A copy, but the real thing in a sense. I am what you are. I also am whatever you want me to be."

"I'm confused." I said.

"Only because you have rejected me for so long." She started and stood up then walked in front of me, the leash dangling by her side. "Once you fully accept me, you will reach what you need to be. You will understand me and in essence, understand yourself."

"So how do I do that?" I asked.

"By not needing me anymore. You have always needed me but ignored me, pushed me aside to the point I almost ceased to exist." Umbra said and hugged me. "I am here to be whatever you need me to be whenever you need me to be it. Remember that."

I hugged Umbra back and she merged into me.

"You can let go of me now..." Dr. Monroe said.

I opened my eyes and saw myself hugging the doctor who stared back at me as if i was Insane. I heard Iris chuckling in the background.

"Sorry." I said and let go of the doctor.

"Ow! OW! What the hell?" Luna let out as she jumped around holding her ass.

"What?" Iris asked.

"Someone gave me a mean ass wedgie!" Luna cried out as she pulled her underwear down.

"That's okay, so I take it that it worked..." The doctor continued amused as Luna cried out.

"I think it did." I replied as I forced myself to not laugh.

"Do you know your instinct's name now?"

"Yes."

"Good. I suggest that you get to know her or else she'll never leave you alone."

"I don't think I want her to leave me alone."

"It hurts so bad!" Luna complained as she adjusted her pants.

"She won't leave, she'll just be dormant until you need her again." The doctor said then turned to Ai. "Do we have a 47?"

"Not a mature one. It'll be a day or two before it'll mature correctly." Ai replied.

"Okay." Dr. Monroe said then looked at me and Iris. "We will bring you an memory lilium as soon as we can. Try not to do anything too irrational before we get it to you, Mammon is too strong at the moment."

"I wonder if a 11-B would work..." Ai suggested.

"Do we have one?"

"I will, in a few days."

"Okay. Please return to your homes. We will contact you when we can."

"Thank you doctor." Iris said.

"Can I like borrow your bathroom real quick?" Luna said quietly to Ai.

"Yeah, use the one in the hall, there's some cream you could use too." Ai said.

I shook the doctor's hand then apologized to Ai for jumping on her when she showed us out.

"What did you do?" Iris said as we waited outside for Luna.

"I didn't do anything." I lied.

"So she just magically got a wedgie?"

"Maybe a horsey did it."

She chuckled. "She did kinda deserve it. Bet you had fun sticking your hand down that girl's pants."

"I wish I would have thought of doing more."

Luna walked out, very awkwardly. I struggled extra hard as she tried to place the clothing line around me again. I then amused myself by listening to the uncomfortable noises Luna made whenever I bounced a little more than I needed to when I carried her home.

I lay on my bed that night. It was a full moon again so I was in werewolf form as I hung my cell phone up. I had been talking to Kassie. Her parents had grounded her for leaving the house that one night without tellingthem, but they agreed to let her go out the following Friday night if I brought her back home by 10 pm.

"Can I ask you something?" I said.

A few seconds passed before I for a response.

"Me?" Umbra yawned from inside my head.

"No, my other imaginary friend." I said sarcastically.

"I'm not imaginary!" Umbra said.

I turned around and I saw Umbra as she stretched on all fours as if she was about to go to sleep but someone had disturbed her. She still wore the same style of fur as when I saw her earlier this morning.

"What?" My father said as he walked in.

"No, nothing. I was talking to my wolf spirit." I repled.

My father walked into the room and stopped when his left foot was right on Umbra.

"Where is she?" My father asked as he looked around.

Umbra chuckled then paced sideways. "Only you can see me."

"Only I can see her." I repeated.

"Oh... Well ask her what my spirit is called.

"He has to remember what her name is." Umbra said as her tail waved playfully.

"She said that l-"

"That I have to remember, I know... Goodnight, Michael. Your mother didn't call again. I hope she's okay."

"Goodnight, dad." I said as he walked out.

"You're not real are you?" I asked Umbra after my father had walked into his room.

"I'm not real or fake. I'm somewhere in between." Umbra replied. "How did you know that you could summon me?"

"You said that you would be here for me if I needed you."

"So you were listening."

"You sound like my mother."

"Well... In theory I am something similar to your mother, at least to your wolf part."

"Can I ask you something?" I changed the subject.

"Make it quick, you need your sleep." She replied and laid her head on her folded arms. She looked like she was a dog that was trying to go to sleep.

"You could tell when I'm sleepy?" I asked as I yawned.

Umbra nodded slowly.

"Why am I a Darkstalker? What makes me so special?" I asked.

Umbra slowly shrugged without bothering to look at me.

"You don't know or you won't tell me?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"I gain nothing by lying to you. I do not know why you are a Darkstalker. I just know that I was given to your line." Umbra replied as she stretched her right paw.

"So you were given to my family, therefor we're Darkstalkers?" I asked.

"I think that I was given to your family because they were Darkstalkers." She replied.

"But you said that you made me a Darkstalker."

"I make YOU a Darkstalker. I don't know why I was given to your family or by whom or for what purpose." Umbra informed me as her ears drooped slightly.

I yawned loudly. The wolf in me made a low yelping noise. Umbra chuckled lowly as she shifted slightly.

"You can sleep in my bed, you know." I said as I pulled the covers over my body.

"I am warm as long as you are. Oh... Okay." Umbra said and stood up. She crawled into my bed and lay still. "You miss her don't you?"

I didn't reply. We both knew the answer. We both knew that I missed my sister. She always slept with me during a full moon, she said that I was warm.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" I said quietly.

"Hmm." Umbra grunted.

"Are you happy? Being part of me, I mean."

She lay silent for a few seconds. "Nobody has ever asked me that before." Umbra said. "Yes... I am happy being part of you. I don't know what it's like being part of anyone else in your family but at least I know that I enjoy being part of you."

"That makes me happy." I said.

"You're warm." She stated quietly.

"I know." I replied as I felt Umbra's tail move across my back.

"Her name is Arlène by the way." Umbra mumbles sleepily.

"Who?" I asked.

"Your father's spirit"

"I can't tell him can I?" I asked.

"Nope..."

"So why did you tell me?"

I didn't get an answer as Umbra started snoring lightly. So I drifted asleep.

I opened my eyes and noticed the woods around me. I groaned and sat up. The dark woods were creepy and damp. An owl sounded off in the distance. The Darkness of the night became more tolerable as I shifted into my werewolf form. A few deer ran away in the distance as their instincts told them that something had just appeared.

I walked around on two legs as I looked for a way out. An owl twisted his head as I passed by. I must have been dreaming because it felt unreal.

"What is going on?" I asked, to no one in particular.

30 minutes later, I wound up where I started. The same broken branches and tree stump refused to look like anything else than where I had awoke.

"You have no sense of direction do you?" I heard a familiar voice say behind me.

I smiled and turned around. Zeke wore some shorts and a muscle shirt as he leaned on a tree. He smiled at me lazily as he inspected his fingernails.

"What are you doing here? Where is my mother and sister, Zeke?" I asked.

"Call me Mammon... Their safe. Your mother is frisky though..." Mammon replied as he looked at his right arm: a large scratch mark and a bruise had been made recently. "You're sister and friend are a lot more compliment, maybe because of their animal sides." He snapped his finger and a small black hole appeared: the hole wasn't any taller than two feet. Two figures walked out on all fours, they were both female and looked familiar. The first was a brown werewolf, she stayed on all fours as she walked by Mammon's side with a leash in her mouth. Mammon took the leash and attached it to the collar around Helena's neck. The second figure was a white tiger and she also walked out on all fours but stopped on Mammon's other side. Mammon took the leash that Senna had in her mouth then attached it to the collar around her neck.

"See..." Mammon started when he noticed the anger in my eyes. "They're fine." He patted Helena's head who smiled and rocked slightly.

"My family members are not your PETS!" I let out and jumped on all fours then started for Mammon.

Helena started barking at me loudly as Senna growled loudly. They both tried to attack me but where held back by Mammon who held the leashes attached to their collars.

I stopped when I noticed that neither of them had any trace of humanity in them, just the simple minded animals that had been trained to serve their master Mammon, that lived inside of Zeke.

Mammon said something that didn't sound at all human and both girls immediately stopped barking and growling then laid down but didn't take their eyes away from me.

"Helena, Senna! It's me Michael! What are you doing?" I said as I slowly walked closer. But stopped when both girls growled at me.

Mammon repeated the word and both girls immediately became silent again.

"What did you do to them?" I asked furiously.

"I needed some guard dogs so I thought these would do nicely don't you think?" He mocked me as he passed his hand through Senna's back. She purred and cradled her body as he passed his hand through it. "Good girl"

"How dare you!" I yelled out.

"How dare I what?" Mammon started furiously and both girls paced back frightfully. "How dare I take what is rightfully mine? How dare I take the creatures, of my own species, and make them work for me? You... ANIMALS were never supposed to be anything more than that! Something for us to use and enjoy! I've simply reminded these two of what their purpose was."

"You, fucking, brainwashed them!" I yelled out. I wanted to kill the bastard for doing this.

I jumped at Mammon who simply stood still and said something that sounded old and ancient.

I was forced aside in an instant. I hit the floor and rolled but landed on all fours. I barely had enough time to catch my breath when I felt something jump on my back and force me down. I hit the ground hard and but had enough time to see a white tiger paw before I felt a sharp pain on my back. I howled and forced Senna off me then flipped onto my back. I lay on the dirt as blood oozed from behind me. Senna jumped on my chest and began scratching wildly at my midsection. I grunted loudly and tried pushing her off. She shifted and bit me in the neck.

I yelped slightly then punched Senna hard enough to make her get off from on top of me. Senna landed on her side then rolled back onto all fours and growled at me.

"Senna, I'm sorry..." I said as I held my bleeding heck, that was already healing itself.

I took a step back but stopped when something bit my right leg and forced me back down. I hit the ground again and tried rolling on my back, but something shook my leg violently. I looked back and saw Helena, my sister, on all fours as she growled loudly while she held my leg in her mouth.

"Helena! Stop this!" I yelled.

I tried turning around again but Senna jumped on my back and began to claw at it again.

Mammon laughed wildly as my sister and friend slowly killed me.

"You would let yourself be killed, simply because you don't want to hurt your family and friend?" I heard Umbra say.

Time had froze again. I looked behind me and saw Umbra as she sat, cross legged, on my frozen sister's back. She smiled at me then jumped off and lay down on the floor next to me. She crossed and uncrossed her legs playfully and smiled at me, which annoyed me slightly.

"You won't fight back, simply because you know these... Animals?" She said.

"These aren't animals, they're my friends and family." I said and tried to move but was forced to be still.

"Of course they are... It's your sister and friend that are trying to kill you right now and I find it cute how you're just letting them do it. You're such a good boy." She replied and patted my head twice.

"Are you here to help or to taunt me?" I growled at her.

"Can't I do both? Fine... Why haven't you used any of the animal powers that I have been offering you? I mean, I've only been trying to tell you for years now."

"What are you talking about?" I asked and tried sitting up again but couldn't.

"Yeah, you're not going anywhere. Girlie there is frozen in place on top of you and she can't be moved so you're screwed."

"So you're going to help me how?" I said impatiently.

"Yeah you never did like small talk... " Umbra pouted. "Did you notice that black thing that your father had around him when he jumped at burrito guy there?"

"That energy that made him move quicker?"

"Yeah, that's called a taikuu."

"A what?" I asked annoyed.

"A taikuu or a beast cannon or a energy manifestation or a swirly pretty sparkly thing, call it whatever the fuck you want but it's the same thing. God, you're so grumpy when you're dying. Anyway, it is a symbolic manifestation of you when you unleash your inner animal." She said and dusted some dirt from the top of my right wolf ear.

"How do I do that?" I asked as the several cuts on my back finished healing.

"Well... Kiss me." She giggled playfully.

"What?"

"Kiss me, doggy."

"And I'll get the animal manifestation ability?"

"Sure, why not."

I forced myself closer and kissed Umbra on the lips for a few seconds then finally let go.

"So that's what a kiss is like..." Umbra said as she blushed a little.

"What? Am I able to do it now?"

"Huh? Do what now?"

"The unleashing my inner animal thing!" I cried out.

"Oh that? You just have to ask for me to let you do it, you daddy and granddaddy had more contact with their inner animal growing up, than you did, so they were just able to do it, you need to ask." Umbra said.

"So why did I just kiss you?" I yelled.

"I've never kissed a boy... Or a dog... I wanted to know how if felt."

"I fucking hate you!" I yelled.

"I love you too." Umbra said and kissed me again then merged back into me."Just ask whenever you want my help on unleashing your taikuu."

"Can you do it now?" I asked.

"Pretty please..." Umbra suggested.

"... Pretty please..." I repeated and grinder my teeth.

"With a cherry on top..." Umbra said as she amused herself.

"For fuck sakes!" I yelled out.

"You're too grouchy! Fine, use me as you need to."

Time slowly returned to normal and Senna and Helena continued to bite and scratch me.

I felt the animal in me come alive. I howled by instinct and a silver energy quickly flashed around me. Senna's was thrown off a few feet into the air while, Helena was simply tossed aside.

My wounds instantly healed and I jumped onto my feet. Everything seemed to move slower around me. I looked around and saw Mammon who had stopped laughing and stared into me, with a confused expression on his face. I jumped on all fours and threw myself at him impossibly quick. I sent him flying back and into a tree.

He groaned and forced himself up but I was already on him. I rammed him into the tree nearest tree, which gave way under the impact. Mammon coughed blood as his left arm was bent the wrong way. I kneed him quickly and he was sent into the air. Helena and Senna ran at me, on all fours, and the wolf in me howled loudly again. Both girls stopped and took a few steps back as I turned back around and jumped impossibly high and grabbed Zeke by the arm and tossed him back into the ground.

Zeke spat out more blood as his nose, ears and eyes bleed profoundly. I jumped on Zeke and smiled.

"Kill me... Michael, kill me!" Zeke gasped as he had temporarily regained control. "Please! You have no idea what he plans to do! The library..."

I gasped slightly as the wolf in me yelled at me to kill him.

"Kill the fucker! Kill him! Kill him before Mammon takes control again."

The silver energy around me slowly died out as I quickly shifted back into human form and stared at Zeke.

"Zeke! Zeke fight him." I yelled out.

"I can't... He is in control... Michael, the library!"

"What library, Zeke?"

"The one... In my dream... 2674..." Zeke started Then jerked suddenly.

"Zeke?" I asked cautiously.

His eyes opened suddenly and looked around then stared at me. He frowned and opened him mouth. I was immediately thrown back into a tree. I hit it hard but I didn't fall, Mammon held me against the tree. I saw him stand up slowly as he held his hand in my direction. He opened his hand wider and I felt my hands and feel being pulled back as the tree held me in place. I heard my spine crack a couple of times as I yelled as I was being bent backwards.

"Such power!" Mammon said from inside of Zeke. "You will join us! I command it of you."

I heard Umbra cry out from inside of me, she was clearly fighting whatever power Mammon was trying to use to control my body as I was trying to keep from going unconscious.

I opened my eyes as I heard Umbra start to whimper and cry.

"Such power! Michael I need you to help me, you can protect me." Mammon said as he floated higher off the ground and dragged me along with him.

I gasped when I noticed Mammon holding Helena and Senna in the air by the leashes around their collars. Both girls squirmed and whimpered as they fought for air.

"You, Michael. You can protect me better. Much better than these two bitches!" He said as a black portal appeared behind him and he tossed both girls into it carelessly. "You Michael... You are the one I need... And I will have you. One way or another." Mammon said then erupted into flames then disappeared.

I hit every branch on my way down and bounced back and forth as tree branches cut and tossed me left and right. I heard wings, large wings flapping but I never hit the ground. I felt something grab me before the impact.

I forced my eyes opened and the only thing I saw was a white flower before I finally passed out.

"Michael... Michael... Wake up..." I heard someone say.

I groaned slightly and instinctively swung to hit the person in front of me.

I heard a woman scream as she moved her arms to shield her face.

I forced myself to stop and the woman slowly moved her hands away and looked at me.

"Ai..." I said weakly. "Where am I?"

"You are in your room... Why does it smell like dog?" Ai replied.

"Do you really have to ask?" I said and groaned when I felt sore all over.

"No I guess not." Ai said. "Guess what I have..."

"What?"

Ai held a white flower in my direction.

I stared at the flower then stared blankly as I started remembering events that happened earlier in my life.

"Is that..." I started.

Ai smiled at me, "Number 47."


	9. Chapter 9: City Hall

_Chapter 9_: **City Hall**

I awoke in the middle of the night when I heard someone talking. I was in my human form again, which meant that it must be close to sunrise as there was a full moon the night before.

The muttered conversation came from inside of the house so I got out of bed and walked out of my room then stopped when I heard my father talking to someone in his room at the end of the hall.

The wooden panel creaked slightly as I crept closer to listen. The door was closed so I couldn't really make out what he was saying so I opened it slightly.

"I remember..." My father said. "I always thought you were my imaginary friend that went away when I met Christine... Don't be stupid, I know who and what you are so don't pretend to be angry at me..."

I peeked inside of the room and saw my father sitting on the bed and talking with someone who I couldn't see, not because it was dark but because there wasn't anyone there.

I felt someone wrap their hands around me. Black furred paws hung lazily around my neck.

"It looks like he finally remembered." Umbra said from behind me.

"Mmhmm." I replied.

"Michael, why are you standing there? Come in." My father said.

I opened the door and stepped in as Umbra hung on to me, she didn't weigh anything which made it easier to look natural.

"Sorry." I started, "I heard talking and wanted to make sure that you were okay."

"I'm fine." My father said.

"Who were you talking to?"

"I was talking to Arléne, my wolf spirit." My father said and gesture towards the empty space in front of him.

"I can't see her, remember." I said.

"That's right..." My father said and looked to where Arléne should be.

"Change, doggy." Umbra said from behind me.

"Why?" I asked her.

"CHANGE!" She repeated and kneed me in the back once.

"Fine!" I said and changed to my werewolf form.

Umbra moved her left paw to block my vision. I felt her move her right have over my chest and my arm until her paw wrapper around my hand. She then removed her left paw and let me see again. She then wrapped her arm around my neck so she wouldn't fall off.

My vision slowly adjusted and I saw my father still sitting in the bed but a woman now stood by him: she was a little shorter than me with bright silver hair, purple lip stick and a small amount of eye liner. Her skin was pale with a paper thin appearance. She looked a lot like my father did but with a rounder face. Her bright silver and blue hair stood up and looked a lot like the fur that my father had on his head whenever he was in werewolf form. She wore nothing but her fur which was a different design and color than Umbra's. Arléne's fur was two bright red stripes that started around the fur choker around her neck then spiraled around her body until they came together and covered the woman's crotch area. Her arms were completely fur free with with the exception of her hands that were longer than they should have been, with claws at the end. A chain leash dangled from the spiked collar that fit loosely around her neck.

"Oh... I see her now." I said and gestured slightly to the woman.

The woman cocked her hip and crossed her arms but didn't say anything. She blinked once and strengthened the wolf ears that stood on top of her head.

"Can she hear or see me?" I asked Umbra.

"Yes. Although you can't, so she won't even try." Umbra said and shifted slightly on my back which made the leash that still hung around her neck dangle.

Arléne turned to look at my father who looked back at her. She reached out for him then said something that I couldn't hear.

My father took her hand almost immediately and smiled as he was now able to see Umbra on my back. He slowly waved at her.

Umbra removed her hand from my neck and waved wildly at my father. I wondered why she was able to stay on my back without supporting herself.

"That's Umbradaldiel." Arléne told my father.

"It's Umbra for short, Arléne. Man I swear, you're too boring." Umbra pouted and and laid her chin on my shoulder.

"Whatever." Arléne said and evaporated into a silver haze that merged into my father.

"Moody bitch." Umbra mumbled and merged into me.

I walked over and sat next to my father.

"So you finally remembered your spirit's name?" I asked.

"Yeah... Funny thing is that I talked to her a lot while I was growing up. She stopped talking to me around the time I met your mother so I just assumed that she was my imaginary friend or something." My father replied.

"At least you knew she was friendly, mine tried kicking my ass when I first met her." I replied.

My father chuckled for a second then stopped.

"Michael..." My father started.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"You're mother and sister... They're not in Europe are they?"

"No..."

My father sighed heavily then buried his face into his hands.

"That's three times I let that happen... Three times Michael. Most women don't get kidnapped once in their entire lives but your mother has been taken from me three times now."

"It wasn't your fault." I started and looked at the white flower that sat on my father's dresser. "You... We tried but we couldn't beat Mammon; he took us by surprise."

"It is my fault... A man is responsible for the safety of his women."

"Because we're wolves?"

"Because we're men."

We sat in silence for a minute. I could tell that my father was thinking wildly.

"Zeke tried telling me where Mammon was hiding earlier tonight." I said.

"You saw him?" My father asked.

"Yeah..."

"Where?"

"In the woods... I awoke there somehow and found him."

"Did he have the girls with him?"

"He had Helena and Senna... I didn't see mom."

"Oh... Were they his hostages?"

"No... More like his pets."

"What?"

"It seems like he erased their memories or something. They acted like nothing more than animals."

My father growled silently.

"I almost killed him." I said finally.

"Mammon?" My father asked.

"Yeah... I hurt him enough to where Zeke was in control again. He wanted me to kill him but I couldn't, not while it was Zeke in there."

"Yeah. Good thing that you didn't or your sister would have killed you when she got back."

"She already tried." I said and pointed at my blood filled leg.

"Okay, tell me what happened." My father said.

The sun was almost up by the time that I finished telling my father what had happened the night before. I also told him about Ai and the flowers that she worked with.

"So that's how I remembered Arlène's name." My father said while yawning.

"Yup." I replied.

"Did I ever tell you about your aunt's first boyfriend?" My father said chuckling. It seemed that he was trying to take his mind off the current situation.

"You mean Uncle Jeffrey?" I asked, trying to sound curious.

"No, it was before your uncle." My father said and took a picture off of the wall behind his bed.

The picture was of my father, mother, aunt and uncle. My father and aunt looked a lot like they did now but my mother and uncle seemed a lot younger. My father outlined my aunt's green hair with his finger.

"The first guy she ever went out with was this smug prick called Tom. He would ask your aunt out every day. She would disregard him at first then try and avoid him all together. But one day he grabbed her arm and said that he wouldn't let go until she agreed to go out with him. So you know what she did?"

"She went out with him?"

"She punched him in the balls."

I laughed and tried picturing a younger version of my aunt punching a horny boy in the family jewels.

"It gets better..." My father said as he tried forcing himself to stop laughing. "He broke down crying in front of everyone and your aunt felt so bad for him that she agreed to go out with him once. So after the first date he begged her to go out with him again and she reluctantly agreed."

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't know. I'm guessing that she felt bad for the guy." My father said and smiled as he recalled the memory. "So your aunt told me that if she wasn't home before midnight that she would be in a clearing by the house. Remember where I showed you to transform when you were a kid?"

"Yeah, that meadow, forest thing?"

"Yeah, that one. She was there and your grandfather was already ready to rip Tom's head off as he would call at all hours of the night and asked to talk to her. So my mother, your grandmother, stopped him from going to get your aunt so I snuck out through my bedroom window and headed for the clearing after talking to your mother for a few minutes."

"You stopped by mom's house?" I asked.

"She was our neighbor."

"You never told me that..."

"Really, I'll tell you the full story sometime. Anyway, I get to the clearing and there's one car: Tom's. So I go up to the car and ripped the door off it's hinges and tossed the poor fool out and by this time your aunt is mad at me."

"Why? She told you to go there." I said.

"She did but she wanted to deal with Tom on her own." My father said. "So she starts yelling at me so I don't notice Tom running at me with this large tree branch. So you know what I did?"

"You kicked his ass?"

"No, I wanted to but I didn't. I barked loudly in his face."

"Did he get scared?"

"Yes! He stood there and wet his pants."

"Did Aunt Lilian get grounded?"

"For a month."

"I bet that she was mad."

"She said that she didn't care too much as it gave her an excuse to reject the guy if he asked her out again."

"Did he ask her out again?"

"Once... Your aunt just told him that she was going to bring her dog along and he wet himself in front of half the school. He was so embarrassed that he actually transferred schools and never said another word to her again."

We shared a laugh but stopped after a while.

My father sighed heavily then looked at me. "We've got to find them, Michael."

"I know." I started, "Zeke started to give me an address before Mammon took over again; 2674."

"That doesn't really help though..."

"I know... I'll tell Kassie about it later so she could look it up in her cell phone."

"Already putting her to work, I see. So I have taught you well." My father said smiling.

"You are a good teacher." I replied.

We shared a laugh but stopped when we heard movement outside. My father held his finger to his mouth and put the picture down then looked through the window.

I walked near him and looked out but didn't see anything.

Jeremy started barking, in my room, when movement was heard again.

My father changed into his werewolf form and looked around then signaled at the bushes under my window. I changed to my werewolf form and saw the bushes shaking slightly as if someone had just passed by them.

Jeremy's barks stopped abruptly which made my father and I look at each other.

My father moved quickly and headed out of his room and down the hall and into mine. He barked once and jumped into my room.

Jeremy barked as I heard a girl scream when my father landed on her.

I ran into the room and turned the light on.

Jeremy kept barking as I saw my father's feet move as he wrestled somebody on the other side of my bed.

I moved over and cried out when I saw my father on top of a female husky Darkstalker.

"Dad, she's okay. It's Kassandra." I said and tried pulling my father off of my girlfriend.

My father stopped and looked at Kassie who shifted her face back into its human form then smiled.

"Hi, Mr. Talbain." Kassie said weakly.

"Kassandra?" My father asked curiously.

"Yes, dad, can you get off her?" I said and helped Kassie to her feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kassandra." My father said and gently dusted Kassie's back.

"I think that you're trying to steal my girlfriend, dad." I said smiling.

Kassie blushed slightly as she let her hands and feet shift into their human form.

"Oh... I thought that she was someone in a dog suit that was trying to break in."

"Nope, I'm the real thing." Kassie said then turned around and wagged her tail happily.

"I see... So what are you doing here again?" My father asked as he shifted back into his human form. I followed his example and did the same.

"Well... My parents went to stay the night with my grandparents... So my older brother-"

"Which one?" I said smartly.

"Fabian, the older one." Kassie replied.

"Didn't you say that they're twins?" My father asked me.

"Fabian was born first so he's technically older." Kassie informed him.

"Okay..."

"So my brother has his girlfriend over and they were...spending some quality time together, so I decided to come and say hi." Kassie said.

"Uh-huh… Michael, can I talk to you for a bit." My father said and pulled me outside of the room.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Okay first of it all: your mother would hang her from her red, ginger, hair if she knew that your girlfriend was here this early. Now, I won't tell her but you have to make sure she doesn't do that while your mother is here."

"She won't." I assured my father.

"Second: while she's here, you could have her try and find that address."

"Alright."

"…and third." My father started and pulled out his wallet then handed me a small red package with the word "Trojan" written on it.

"Is that..." I asked when I took it from my dad.

"In case that she wants to spend some 'quality time' with you."

I stared at my father who walked downstairs.

I walked back into my room and saw Kassie, in her half dog form, as she lay in my bed and held Jeremy in the air. Jeremy barked happily at Kassie who barked back playfully.

"Sorry about that." I said and closed the door.

Kassie didn't turn to see me as she still played with Jeremy. "That's okay, you could put that away. We're not doing that tonight, at least not yet." She said and looked at the condom package in my hand.

I blushed and quickly stuffed it in my back pocket.

I woke up around ten, later that day. I tried rolling aside but stopped when I saw Kassie asleep on my arm. I lay there and stared at her. She was in full human form and wore one of my shirts as my father had accidentally torn hers. She was still asleep so I entertained myself by counting all the freckles in her face but I kept messing up or she would move slightly whenever I got around 20-something and I would have to start over.

I gently pulled my arm from underneath her and walked downstairs.

My father was asleep on the couch with a couple of phone books spread out around him. I noticed a couple of circled addresses that started with 2674. I sighed and walked back upstairs and into my bathroom.

I took my time brushing my teeth before I took a shower then changed into a new set of clothing. I would have not had a problem putting the same clothes on or even showering later but I didn't think that would be appropriate with Kassie in the house.

I did my best to creep back into my room without waking Jeremy or Kassie but failed when I stepped on my shoes and almost fell over.

"Michael..." Kassie said as she slowly stood up.

"It's me." I said and closed my door gently.

"I think I'd better go, before your mother or sister wakes up." She said and crawled out of my bed.

"They're not here." I said.

"No? Where are they?" She asked as she sat back down on my bed.

I explained the situation in great detail. Kassie gasped a few times as I told the story. I intentionally left out the part where Mammon had threatened to take her hostage too.

"So I need you to look up a library's address that starts with the numbers 2674." I said when I finished.

"You got it." Kassie said and jumped off my bed and ducked to look under my covers.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I dropped my phone when I was spending some floor time with your father in the morning. Ew what is this?" Kassie said and pulled out a mostly empty box of Chinese food that I stuffed there a few months ago.

"I was wondering if I threw that out." I replied and took it from her.

"I would be disgusted if I didn't have two brothers. Here we are."

Kassie picked her phone up and started pushing buttons.

"How long do you think it'll take?" I asked.

"No idea... Depends on how fast I find something that matches. Do you guys have breakfast?" Kassie asked.

"Yeah I can make something for you." I said.

Kassie grunted and followed me downstairs.

My father yawned as he stood by the stove and tried cracking an egg that fell on the cook top instead of the pan.

"I got this Mr. Talbain." Kassie said and stepped forward then quickly cracked an egg and tossed it into a pan with practiced prevission.

"It's okay, Kassandra. You're a guest, I'll get this." My father said and tried taking the pan from the girl.

"No it's okay, besides I'm the only woman here." Kassie started. "I'm sure your wife would appreciate knowing that I'm cooking for you guys."

"Actually, she might stuff an apple into your mouth and toss you into the oven if she knew that you touched her stove." I said as I walked closer.

"Really?" Kassie asked cautiously.

"Yeah... She hates it when people mess with her kitchen and I would much rather have you over as a guest than as the main course." My father said.

"You guys are just trying to mess with me." Kassie said chuckling and cracked another egg.

"Yeah, I wonder what huskies taste like." I said smartly then sat on the table when Kassie shoo'd us away.

"I like her." My father said.

"... And they say that gingers don't have souls." I said playfully.

"I don't know about souls but she has skill in the kitchen." My father said as Kassie dropped some sausage and bacon onto a different pan.

Kassie came over and handed me her phone so I could look for the address.

I went over as many libraries and bookstores near us but none started with 2674.

"Anything? Thanks Kassandra." My father said as Kassie placed a plate in front of him.

"Nothing..." I said.

"What about The city hall?" Kassie suggested as she placed a plate in front of me then walked back and set a plate for herself.

"It's not a library." I said.

"It has a massive library inside. But officially it is just city hall." Kassie replied.

"How do you know?" I asked

"My father's the chief of police. He would drop me off there whenever he had business with the Mayor or something." Kassie replied.

I hit the search bottom after typing City Hall and the address made me mad that I didn't think of it sooner.

"Well?" My father asked as he shoved some bacon into his mouth.

"2674 E Main Street." I said and looked at Kassie who wore a proud expression on her face.

The cell phone vibrated once and I accidentally opened the message that the phone had received. It was from her step sister, Andrea.

The message said. "Put your clothing back on, mom and dad are on their way back!"

I smiled and handed the phone to Kassie who blushed slightly and announced that she had to leave.

"We'll give you a ride home." My father said and stood up.

"No, it's fine." She started and turned back into her husky form.

It was weird watching her bright red hair change color and move onto her back and arms.

"I could run really fast." She continued in a voice that deepened slightly as a muzzle protruded from her face

"No, it'll be faster if we give you a ride." My father replied and picked his keys up.

"It's alright, really, I could use the exercise." Kassie replied and walked backwards and bumped into me. She turned and looked up at me.

I sighed then bent down and picked her up then threw her over my shoulder.

"Michael, what are you doing?" Kassie said then started kicking me slightly with her rear paws.

"My dad drives faster than any sane person could imagine. Plus I can't let my girl run home." I said and walked out. The neighbor across the street smiled and waved at us.

"Jonathan, Michael how are you guys?" He said.

"Good, Kenneth, how about you?" My father said as he unlocked the car door.

"I'm good. Wow Jeremy really got big. Why are you carrying him? And why does he have clothing on?" He replied and signaled at Kassie who was still in dog form.

"We're just taking him to get neutered." I laughed out.

"This is humiliating..." Kassie said as I carried her closer to the car.

"Yeah well you're the one who looks like my dog." I said. "Would you prefer it if I were to drag you out on a leash?"

"... Kinda." Kassie replied and lightly slapped me with her tail.

"I learn something new about you every day." I said and opened the back car door then let her down

"Thank you so much!" Kassie said when we arrived at her house. She leaned forward and hugged my father then kissed me. She tried opening the door but wasn't able as the automatic lock had engaged. My father chuckled and disengaged the lock and Kassie was able to open the door. She had transformed back into her human form in the car after we left our house.

"Any time, Kassandra!" My father said as Kassie waved and ran inside her house. "Let's check the city hall out."

We drove off and turned the corner just as a Kassie's parents pulled into the drive way.

-0-

City hall was located in the commercialized part of town. It sat in the middle of three acres of grass. The building was a large dome with a painted cross on top. Someone had rearranged the words in the bulletin board to read "Legalize it."

We stopped outside of the building and looked around. Two guards stood by the entrance and refused entry to one and all, some by force.

The first guard was a woman in her late 20's. She wore a black business suit and dress shoes. She had some thin glasses and an ear piece in one ear. She tripped a little kid that passed by eating an ice cream cone then yelled at the mother when she complained.

The second person was a man in his early 30's. He wore a similar looking suit except that the ear piece was in his other ear. The man stopped a boy that was skateboarding by then broke the board and threw it back to him while laughing.

The woman gave us a dirty look as we walked closer. "What do you want?" She said.

"We just need to look for someone." I said.

"Piss off." The man said.

"Listen, my wife and daughter are in there and we're going in." My father said.

"No, you're not." The woman replied.

"The hell I'm not." My father said and started changing into his werewolf form.

I placed my hand on his shoulder when I noticed that everyone in the square was staring at us.

A couple of cops had stopped to look at us. The first cop held one hand to his holstered gun while the other talked into his radio.

My father turned around and saw all the people who starred at us then hissed and walked back to the car. We drove back home and decided to break in at night.

-0-

"You know... You guys would go to jail or to the animal shelter if we're to get caught." My uncle Jeffrey started as we snuck closer to the City Hall building that night. "I'm Mexican so I'll be deported or something."

My uncle came over to return some tools that he had borrowed from my father half a decade ago. When my father asked why was he returning them so late, he replied that it wasn't because my aunt Lilian was angry at him for coming home late the night before and was two seconds away from kicking him out because she thought that he was with another woman when he was actually out for a drink with a co-worker. He decided to come along after my cousins showed up at our door saying that my aunt thought it would be a good idea if he spent the night in our house.

"Yeah well you could just jump the fence again." My father said.

"Hey you don't get to make racist jokes." Uncle Jeffrey said.

"You started it." My father replied and stopped in front of the building.

"How do we get in?" I asked when the doors didn't want to open.

"We could knock..." Uncle Jeffrey suggested.

"Good luck with that..." My father said.

"Nah for real, we could knock then kick whoever opens the door's ass then we could sneak in." Uncle Jeffrey said.

"Why do you always want to kick someone's ass? Is that like a family tradition or something?" My father asked as he tried looking in through a shuttered window.

"No, but I do think that it would be the fastest way of getting in."

"...or we could break the door down and make our way in."

"No, we'll make too much noise."

"Since when did you start making sense?"

"Since I married a certain cat that name sounds a lot like Lilian."

"You know that she'll stay mad at you until I apologize, right?"

"For what? I didn't do anything!"

"Well I know her and I know you... So I'm guessing that she's mad at you because you don't talk to her enough."

"We talk..."

"Yes but you din't TALK!"

"You sound like a woman."

"No... It's just that Lily does talk to Christine and she believes in the 'I'll tell you everything even if I said I wouldn't, as long as you don't tell anyone that I did' policy."

"Coño... What else do you know?" My uncle Jeff asked annoyed.

"More than I care to..."

"You know... We could have spent all that time getting in."

"It's dark and nobody knows we're here."

"So I guess that Nobody done found us."

"Jeff, man, learn your verbs."

My uncle elbowed my father in the ribs and we all turned around and looked at the same man and woman who denied us entry earlier.

"You assholes just don't know when to quit." The woman said.

"It's not nice for a señorita to be swearing." Uncle Jeffrey said.

"Fuck you!" The woman started. "Now the three of you need to leave or we will have to deal with you."

"We are getting in here and neither of you are going to stop us." My father said and shifted to his werewolf form.

I changed along with him but starred when the man and woman smiled.

"Why are they smiling, man?" Uncle Jeffrey asked as he held onto an aluminum bat. Uncle Jeffrey wasn't a Darkstalker like us. He was a regular human that married my Darkstalker aunt.

"I think that it's time to have some fun." The man said.

His body began to bulge and expand until he stood almost seven feet tall. His body thickened and elongated with muscles until each arm seemed to be about foot and a half in diameter. The man's face seemed to have more of an empty expression as the change happened.

The woman went through a similar process except that she was a little shorter and she kept her hair.

"What the hell are you guys?" My uncle asked.

"We're golems, you stupid sack of crap." The woman said, "…and when we say that you won't pass then you're not going anywhere."

"Golems? You look like a couple of babosos!" Uncle Jeffrey said and threw the bat at the man's direction.

The bat hit the man's head then bent and fell down. The man barely flinched as the bat pieces fell around him.

"Ow..." the man said sarcastically then ran at my uncle. Each step made the ground tremble slightly.

My father stomped once and the black energy around him burst into life. He flew through the air and crashed into the golem that fell over from the impact. Anyone else would have stayed down but the male golem simply grunted and stood back up.

The female golem ran up to me with hate in her eyes. I dodged her and she kept running until she hit a tree in the background that immediately snapped in half.

I jumped on all fours and stared at the woman who slowly walked back towards me.

"You won't attack me, why? Is it because I'm a woman?" The woman asked and cracker her giant knuckles.

"Something like that…" I replied and jumped to the side as she swung at me with her giant, muscular, arm.

"Well then I'll just have to kill you, won't I?" The woman said and tried kicking me.

I jumped out of the way then paced back as the woman stepped forward again.

My father grunted loudly as he picked up the male golem and slammed him on the ground once.

"So you're still willing to die because of your ideals?" Umbra said in my head.

I ignored her as I stepped back when the woman smashed her fist on the ground in front of me. I ran up her arm and onto her back then forced her onto the ground then jumped back and landed on all fours again.

"Ignoring me huh? Not something you should do with your spirit. Whatever, I guess I shouldn't tell you that you could use your taikku if you wanted to... You might be able to outsmart or outrun her." Umbra said patiently.

My father tackled the golem and knocked him down with a large thud then moved to the side but stopped abruptly when the golem reached out and lifted my father by his tail. My father howled with pain then tried biting the male golem's arm but it didn't seem to do anything. Uncle Jeffrey tried tackling the golem but only ended up hurting his own shoulder. The male golem picked my uncle up with his left hand. The male golem smiled and looked at both my father and uncle then smashed then together once.

I tried moving to help but the female golem moved to stand between me and them. She swung at me again and I grabbed her large arm. She pulled back and I struggled to hold on. I grunted loudly as I heard Umbra giggle with excitement as the silver energy appeared and disappeared as it started to manifest around me again. I snarled loudly as the female golem flinched when she saw the silver energy burst to life around me, so I took the opportunity to spin her around once then toss her into the male golem. The golem immediately let go of my father and uncle who landed one on top of the other.

"Jeff, get off me." My father said and stared blankly at the ground as my uncle fell on top of him.

"That's what your sister told me a few hours ago..." Uncle Jeffrey said and rolled off my father.

"Yeah! That's how it's done Mikey! Now pull her hair and toss her in Jell-o, Meow!" Umbra teased me.

"So you'll taunt me when I do what you say and when I don't?" I asked annoyed.

"I've got to keep myself entertained somehow."

"I'm going to hurt you."

"You'd hurt a little old puppy like me?" Umbra asked playfully.

"I'm thinking about it." I replied.

"Bully!" Umbra pouted and kept quiet.

The golem pair slowly stood up and looked at each other. The woman shoved the man away and stood up.

"Michael. Let's hit them straight on. They won't see it coming." My father said when I walked closer.

"But..." I started.

"I know that you don't like hurting women so just pretend that she's a man." My father said as the male golem shoved the woman back.

"Easier said than done." I replied.

"Okay... Just pretend that it's your sister... After she found that dirty magazine you had in your drawer... That you never told me about... And then blackmailed you into doing all her chores for a month... Last March." My father said slowly as the golems started arguing amongst themselves.

"She told you anyway?" I asked.

"She tells your mother everything, and then your mother tells me." My father replied. "I was supposed to get around to talking to you about it... Oh tell her that I yelled at you if she ever gets around to asking."

"Bloody A..." I said quietly.

Both my father and I fell on all fours and let our individual energies manifest again. Both golems still shoved each other as both my father and I flew at them as fast as we could. They barely had enough time to turn around when we tackled them off their feet.

My father flew over the air as he held on to the male golem. He quickly changed direction and dove down until he hit concrete and dragged the male golem into the ground until the streets finally gave way and opened up as my father broke the pavement with the golem's body.

I pushed the female golem slightly away from me then grabbed her arm and swing her into the ground again. She bounced slightly and I picked her up by her left foot then slammed her down again. She slowly stood up so I jumped up towards a light post and pushed myself off then tackled the woman back into the ground. The impact was hard enough that her imprint was etched into the pavement.

Something honked loudly to my left so I turned abruptly and saw a semi trick about three feet from me.

I gasped and flew backwards as the female golem forced herself up then was forced aside as the semi hit the her.

My father jumped aside as the male golem swung at him again. The semi made its way towards the male golem then crashed into him. The male golem fell backwards as the semi shifted dangerously as it ran over the male golem. The semi stopped when the rear tires sat on top of the golems. The male golem yelled and hollered as it was pinned down and in pain.

I looked at the female golem that had hit a tree and fell unconscious.

The semi's driver side door opened quickly and my uncle jumped out of it.

"Y'all mutts thought this fool was useless didn't you? Y'all thought that you was going to have all the fun! But you were wrong! I got this!" My uncle boasted.

"Where the hell did you get a semi?" My father asked when he walked closer.

"I found it."

"My foot is going to find its way up your ass if you try running us over again." My father replied.

"Hey, I I believe in the sink or swim tactic."

"Yeah, you're the reason that Michael is aqua phobic."

"What?" I asked. "I'm not aqua phobic." I lied.

"So let's go swimming tomorrow." My father teased me.

"No, I'm good." I replied.

Both my father and uncle laughed loudly then side hugged.

I walked closer and smiled then butted my uncle's fist once.

We turned around and headed back towards the city hall but stopped when a single 19 year old boy stood in front of us.

"Oh shit..." Uncle Jeffrey said slowly.

"So you did figure it out?" Mammon said arrogantly.

Several other people ran out to see what was happening but stopped when they noticed us.

"We're here for our family, Zeke." My father said cautiously.

"Nobody is going anywhere." Mammon said and gestured so all the people around could step back.

My father fell on all fours then ran at Mammon. He jumped and tried to slash him repeatedly but Mammon always moved out of the way at the last second.

My father growled then jumped at Mammon with all his force but stopped when Mammon held his hand up and touched my father's forehead. Mammon quickly gestured and my father went flying back until he hit the semi which caused it to be knocked back.

The semi landed a few dozen feet away as the metal on the semi creaked and shifted.

The male golem stood up quickly then looked back at the semi and chuckled.

"Thanks, boss. Man was that annoying." The male golem laughed out but stopped when Mammon stared back at the male golem in disappointment then gestured abruptly and the golem went flighty straight up impossibly quickly until he disappeared into the night sky.

"I've no use for useless idiots." Mammon said then stared back at me.

"Mammon, I'm taking them back and you can't stop me." I said as the silver energy manifested around me again. I jumped at Mammon, impossibly quick, and punched him in the face. I punched him several times and finally stopped when he started bleeding from his mouth.

Mammon gestured again as the people around him shifted but didn't move.

"You are fast... You are strong... You are somehow able to resist my hypnosis and I cannot tell what you are thinking. So why haven't you joined me?" Mammon said desperately.

"I won't join you because you are trying to hurt people." I said.

I jumped at Mammon again but stopped when he held his in front of him.

"Too bad..." Mammon started, "then I guess that I've no use for you."

I was let go as gunshots sounded. Mammon flinched and stumbled as blood flew out from freshly made bullet wounds.

"¿Te cres muy chingon, verdad pendejo?" Uncle Jeffers said and walked closer with a nine millimeter pistol in his right hand and a second clip in his left.

Mammon stood still as the bullet holes were set ablaze and repaired themselves.

"That's... A gun… Right?" Mammon started as my uncle Jeffrey walked closer.

My uncle reloaded his hand gun then cocked and aimed it at Mammon again.

The metal of the semi creaked loudly as my father crawled out of the wreckage.

"You werewolves can take a large amount of punishment, can't you?" Mammon said in an amused tone. "Unlike the humans."

The gun that my uncle held flew off his hands then turned around in mid air and shot him in the knee.

"Fuck!" My uncle yelled as he fell to the floor.

"Jeff!" My father yelled as he ran next to my uncle. "Awe man, Cat is going to be pissed."

"Coño, I get shot and you're worried about what your sister is going to say?" Jeff asked as he held his knee with his hands.

"Hold on, I've got an idea..." My father said and bit his hand twice then let the blood ooze into the cut.

I got up and threw myself at Mammon again but was forced into the ground.

"I'm keeping you." Mammon said as he mentally held me on the ground. "If I can't have you by request then I might be able to force you to come along."

The gun shot six more times then finally announced that it was empty.

I looked back then saw that three of the bullets had missed. My uncle wore a horrified expression as a bullet had hit his midsection. My father coughed up blood all over my uncle's chest and face as he had moved to shield my uncle from two of the bullets that were aimed for his head. My father would be fine in a minute or two but the wound on my uncle's midsection was fatal.

"The stomach is a vital organ right?" Mammon said. "I have no use for another human. 73, 44, take him inside."

I struggled as a petit girl pouted as she stepped forward.

"Awe, I just got dressed..." She said but flinched when Mammon stared at her. "Fine. Man I'm going to smell like dog..."

The girl held her hand at my direction as it exploded into small pink flower petals that flew in my direction. The girl as her body slowly disappeared into nothing but the flower petals that circled atop my immobile body. The girl's clothes fell to the floor as the rest of her body changed and floated on top of me.

Mammon sighed and the flower petals stopped circling then fell all around me gracefully then moved to wrap themselves around me until everything but my head was encased in a pink substance that rendered me immobile.

A large man walked forward and picked me up then tossed me over his shoulder. I struggled but I felt the pink casing around me tighten until I was forced to keep still.

"He looks like my dog." The man grunted.

'The world must run on irony…' I thought.

My father's wounds healed by the time I saw him run towards me. A man teleported and stood in front of my father. He had a girl under his arm who struggled playfully.

My father simply ignored them and moved to the side and kept running at me. The male Darkstalker sighed then grabbed the girl by the shirt and tossed her towards my father. The girl giggled as she flew through the air until her body started melting and expanding until she had turned into a net that wrapped itself around my father.

My father tumbled and rolled as he hit the floor then tried to escape but flinched when the male teleported in front of him again then grabbed the end of the net and dragged my father behind him.

"Stop complaining..." The man said. "I told you that I would use you as I wanted."

I was carried into the city hall building and placed into an elevator that was hidden behind a book shelf. The last thing I saw, before the doors closed, was a couple of male Darkstalkers stomp on my father as he was still struggling from inside of the net.

The man let me drop as the elevator headed down until we reached the basement level. The doors opened so the man lifted and carried me onto a table infested room then dropped on top of the nearest table. I tried struggling again but the pink casing tightened itself around me again until I couldn't breathe. I stopped struggling and the pink casing loosened again.

Several of the people that had rode the elevator with me laughed as they made their way deeper inside of the building. The large Darkstalker placed the clothing that the girl had been wearing, before she encased herself around me, by my side and walked off with the rest of them.

I lay on the table by myself until I felt the casing around me start to shift.

It slowly changed back into the pink flower petals until it completely unwrapped itself around me and floated back into the pile of clothing and materialized back into the girl again.

I tried moving but my body was way too tired to react. The girl slowly manifested again from the stream of flowers that flew into the clothing. The girl finally stood up and adjusted herself then stretched. The girl sniffed at her arms loudly and shrugged when she didn't smell like she thought she would then patted my head slowly and smiled.

"Don't bother moving, I paralyzed you so you could stay put. The effects should ware off in a few hours, if at all." The girl said as she tied her hair into a ponytail. "I also sprinkled sleeping pollen around you so don't be surprised if you feel sleepy. Hope you don't mind"

I slowly fell asleep as the elevator opened again and a few men walked in and tossed my father's bloody and limp body onto one of the other tables.

I felt my cell phone vibrate right before I passed out.


	10. Chapter 10: A Day in the Life of a Cat

_Chapter 10_: **A Day in the Life of a Cat.**

I jumped on my bed as I couldn't help but screech loudly which made my younger brother ran into the room.

"What? What's wrong?" Manuel asked from the doorway.

"It's in there! Get it!" I yelled as I pointed towards one of my sneakers.

Manuel picked the shoe up and shook it once. A rat jumped out and hurried for under my bed. Manuel quickly got the mouse by his tail and lifted him.

"You're the only cat in existence that is afraid of mice." Manuel said as he examined the mouse.

"Shut up..." I said as Sam walked into the room.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked with one hand over the mouth piece of his cell phone.

"I'm just feeding Iris her lunch." Manuel laughed out as the mouse squirmed in his hand.

"Iris, you eat mice?" Sam asked me with a combination of curiosity and disgust.

"Everyone get out of my room." I said and threw my pillow at Sam.

Both my brother's laughed and walked out.

I sighed and stepped from my Bed cautiously.

My name is Iris Robyn Gonzales. My name is actually pronounced something along the lines as Eereese but most of, what I consider, my family doesn't speak Spanish so I never corrected anyone on how they said it. My mother is a cat and my father is Mexican, making me mixed races and species.

I adjusted my glasses and continued writing in my diary as it was the only thing that kept me sane. I was actually almost done before the mouse crawled up onto my knee and sat on my lap.

"I'll see you guys later." I heard Walter, my neighbor, say as he walked out of his house and headed for his car.

He looked at my window and tapped the top of his head as he stared at me.

I smiled and let my cat ears extend then waved goodbye at him.

He smiled and got into his car.

Walter was about three years older than me and didn't find me weird, which is actually quiet an alluring feature.

I sighed and closed my diary then headed downstairs where my mother looked out of the window and into the street. My brothers played video games in the living room TV with the volume down.

"Your father isn't home yet..." She said when she heard me walk closer.

She had yelled at my father last night because he was late coming home again. She suspected that he had spent some time with the new woman at work after hours so she kicked him out.

She still looked angry if only so she wouldn't seem worried.

"I'm sure he's fine." I said as I stood by my mother.

"Hmm. Sometimes I wonder if I'm too jealous." She thought out loud.

I didn't reply as I honestly thought she was. My father went to sleep at my uncle's house last night but has not returned or called.

"Should I call him?" I asked.

"No... He'll think that I'm not mad are him anymore."

"Are you?"

"No... I never really was in the first place."

I stared and began to believe my cousin when he told me that women were over complicated.

I walked into the kitchen and made myself some oatmeal for breakfast. I really couldn't cook except for some small things, but I could make a really good batch of oatmeal.

I sat down and ate as my mother gasped loudly.

"Oh, shit... It wasn't me this time, mom..." Manuel said.

I looked up and noticed the red and blue lights that spilled in through the foyer's window. My mother moved the curtain and I saw a police officer walking closer to the door.

"He better not had been arrested or I'll kill him." My mother said in an annoyed tone and opened the door.

"Hello, Mrs. Gonzales?" The police officer said as he stood outside of the house.

"How can I help you, officer?" My mother said and crossed her arms.

"It's about your husband. He's been-"

"Arrested?" My mother interrupted. "I'm going to kill that guy."

"Well we believe that someone might have tried doing that already." The officer said.

My mother gasped and held her hand to her mouth.

"Can I come in?" The officer asked.

"Yeah..." My mother said and fully opened the door.

The officer removed his hat and looked around until he saw Manuel.

"Manuel..." The officer said.

"Lyle..." My brother replied.

"Where we're you last Saturday?" The officer asked him.

"Here..." Manuel lied.

"Make sure to tell that to the other cop when he arrives sometime this week."

"I didn't do anything."

"You never do."

He sat on the kitchen table as my mother sat next to him and instructed me to boil some water. I took my time so I could listen in.

"Your husband was almost hit by a car early this morning." The officer said. My heart skipped a beat as he continued. "He was found, unconscious, on the interstate. He had a blood trail that we are still trying to figure out where it starts."

"Oh my God! Is he okay, officer?" My mother gasped.

I handed the coffee over to the officer.

"Lilian, now I know you know my name. Sadly, I can say that we know each other enough to talk as equals. Call me Lyle." The officer said.

"Is he okay, Lyle?" My mother repeated.

"He is in the hospital. He has blood all over his knee and midsection. Now I don't know how you'll take this he's being held responsible for possible murder as a lot of the blood has been identified to belong to your brother who is actually missing at the moment."

"No, he would never do that!" My mother replied stubbornly.

"He had been shot with his own gun twice. The gun only had his fingerprints but it looks like someone else shot it."

"No, he would never harm Jonathan."

"The entire family is missing and he was seen entering the residence last night."

"I kicked him out... Oh my God, this is entirely my fault." My mother said and passed her hands through her hair.

"Something is odd though." Lyle continued.

"What?"

"He had a fatal shot to the stomach, sometime last night. He should have died minutes after receiving it but he was found in the morning, alive, and the wound was almost healed. Jeff should be dead but isn't."

"Don't you talk about my husband like that!" My mother snapped. She probably would have slapped Lyle if he wasn't a police officer.

"I'm sorry, Lilian. But it is true. He is under intensive care. He muttered something about the number 44 and 73, does that mean anything to you?"

"No."

"He is down in the Mary-Line emergency room. He is going to be treated and if your brother and his family have not been found by then... Well there is talk about charging him with four accounts of murder."

"My brother's wife and daughter are in Europe at the moment. They went to a fashion expo."

"Do you have a way to reach them?" Lyle asked.

"No..."

"Then we are forced to assume the worst as their location cannot be confirmed.

"This isn't happening..." My mother tried convincing herself.

"Get yourself a lawyer... A good one this time not that ass clown that you got when Manuel attacked that group of adolescents."

"Hey, that was self defense!" My brother said.

"Might have been, but that fool's starting argument was pleading insanity. A frog and two forks could have made a better defense attorney." Lyle replied.

"Can we see my dad?" I asked.

"I wouldn't advise it." Lyle replied.

"Why not?" My mother asked.

"He's not talking right now. He's unconscious, has been since we found him."

-0-

My mother gave us all five minutes to get dressed before we headed down to the hospital where Lyle granted us permission to go see my father.

I hated the fact that all this was happening. I tried my best to not break into tears if only because my mother would have been even more upset.

My mother marched in before anyone else and looked at the bed that my father was laying on. My mother gasped loudly and broke into tears.

"Oh God, Jeff this is my fault..." She whispered and moved by my unconscious father's side.

Sam, Manuel and I moved to join her and Sam placed his hand on my mother's shoulder.

"It isn't your fault, mom. You couldn't have known that this would happen." Sam said.

"I kicked him out... None of this would have happened if I didn't do that." My mother replied and stroked my father's unconscious face.

The heartbeat monitor beat quickly for a few seconds then we all gasped when it flat lined.

The nurse started shoving us out as a doctor moved closer and readied a defibrillator.

The doctor pressed the unit together then moved to try and shock my father back to life but stopped when my father twitched and jerked for a few seconds. He finally stopped and lay still again as the machine beeped rhythmically as it announced that everything was okay.

My mother and I cried out as Manuel moved over to hold me.

"What the hell was that?" The nurse said cautiously.

"I have no idea, but I doubt that we have need for these." The doctor replied and put the defibrillator away.

I cried and stared at my father's hand which tended to twitch slightly then noticed Sam take a bloody note from my father's pocked then put it in his own.

An hour passed and we all sat in the lobby. A police officer had questioned us regarding my father's actions and what might have happened. He took my mother aside and continued asking her questions.

"Who's Zeke or Kassandra?" Sam asked.

Manuel turned to look at him. "What?"

Sam removed the bloody note from his pocket and showed it to us.

The note had a sentence that was hastily written in blood. It was hastily drawn but with some work, I was able to read the words: "It was Zeke, find Kassandra."

"Did dad write this?" I asked.

Sam shrugged and put the note away as the officer and my mother walked back.

"I am going to have to makes a full report so I ask of you all to go home and wait." The officer said. He had a heavy French accent that made him hard to understand at times.

"Wait for what?" My mother asked annoyed.

"Some sort of sign, I dunno. Look: I am trying to make it easy on you all's but the truth of the matter is that a family is missing and he's our only suspect and I very much doubt that having you around will help his case or condition any." The police officer said not at all unkindly.

"He would never do anything to my brother's family, I've told you that already." My mother snapped.

"Like I said: he's our only suspect. Have a nice day." The police officer said and turned around.

My mother flipped him off then turned to look at us. "What was that note that you found, Sam?" She asked my brother.

Sam showed the note to my mother and she also didn't know who they were.

"Zeke?" My mother asked curiously while holding the piece of paper.

"Who's Zeke?" Sam asked and Manuel shrugged.

"Who's Kassandra?" My mother asked annoyed. "Probably that new bitch at his work."

"Michael's girlfriend is named Kassandra, maybe it's her." I said.

"Michael has a girlfriend?" Sam asked.

"Yeah..." I replied.

"Do you know where she lives; I would like to talk to her." My mother said.

"No... Maybe Michael has her address in his room." I replied.

"Maybe. Can you go? I really want to stay and check up on your father." My mother said as a code blue was announced and people ran into my father's room.

We all ran closer but a man nurse stopped us from entering.

Several nurses tried holding my father down as he twitched wildly which made the machine announce different alterations in his heart rhythm.

"Go." My mother said.

Sam and I took off as the doctor's announced that they couldn't use the chest paddles as they make matters worse.

My brother led the way as I brought up the rear. We had changed into our animal forms and ran to my uncle's house.

-0-

The front door was locked and covered with yellow caution tape. We didn't have any luck with the windows either.

"Any luck finding an opened one?" Sam asked me as he jumped down from the second story ledge that was near the master bedroom window.

"No. The only opened one is the bathroom." I replied.

"Can you fit through it?" Sam asked me.

"No."

"Bet you can. Cat's can fit into tight places."

"Cat's can, but I'm only half."

"Good enough." He said and fell on all fours and jumped up into the ledge near the bathroom window.

I jumped after him then stared at the small window opening. It was probably about twenty inches across and thirty high.

"There is no way that I'm fitting in that." I said.

"Bet that you can." Sam said.

"No, I'm being serious. That thing is too small."

"Some cat you are." He said and lifted me closer to the window.

"I'm going to get stuck." I said when I realized that he wasn't going to let up until I at least tried it.

"Then we go to plan B." he replied as he held me up...

"Which that?" I asked as I stuck my head through the window.

"No idea." Sam admitted.

I twisted and shoved myself in through the window but got stuck half way through.

"I told you that I'd get stuck!" I yelled as I struggled.

"That's because you have a big ass." Sam said as he tried forcing me in by my feet.

"Why are you checking out my ass?" I said as I struggled.

"Because it's everywhere! Ow!" He started but I kicked him in his muzzle.

"Keep talking about my ass and I'll kick you again." I said waving my feet wildly.

"Shut up." He said and pushed me again. I finally fell through and landed on the tub.

"Ow!" I let out.

"Are you dead?" Sam asked me.

"No..." I said and stood up rubbing my right elbow.

"Hold on." Sam said.

"What?" I asked but I didn't get an answer. "Sam, what is it?"

There wasn't any sound of anyone so I started getting worried. I looked through the window but didn't see Sam.

"Sam." I whispered but still no answer.

I turned around quickly as I heard slight movement from outside of the bathroom. I listened as it came closer. The bathroom door opened and I stayed still in the tub to not be seen.

The tub curtain opened quickly and a man in a hockey masked yelled and reached for me.

I yelled and cried out for Sam but stopped when the figure laughed and removed the mask.

"Sam!" I let out and smacked my brother a few times.

He laughed and threw the mask into the sink. "You forgot to check Helena's bedroom window."

"So I did this in vain." I asked as I felt my heart still beating fast.

"Pretty much."

He helped me out of the tub and we headed into Michael's room.

I searched his notebook to see if he had Kassandra's address written somewhere. Sam searched the cabinets and dresser.

"Whoah!" Sam said amusingly.

"What?" I asked when I saw a picture of him and Helena that was taken a few years ago.

"Michael wears chick's underwear." Sam said.

I turned around and saw Sam examining a pair of light blue panties.

"What size do you think they are?" Sam asked smiling.

"Six." I replied.

"How do you know?" Sam asked.

"Because those are mine."

Sam flinched and tossed the panties back into the dresser as he wore a horrified look in his face. "Ew! Why is your underwear in his dresser? What have you two been doing?"

I laughed and stuffed the panties back into where they were supposed to be. "Shut up and help me look." I said and kept looking through random items.

Sam wiped his hand on him pants and looked under the pillows.

"Who are you two?" Someone asked.

We both turned sharply and saw a dog Darkstalker standing on the window's ledge. The round shoulders and slender muzzle meant that it was female. Her white and black fur waved gracefully with the wind.

"Oh, Hi, I'm Iris. You're-" I started but my brother had already turned into his werewolf form and tackled her out through the window.

I flinched and ran towards the window just as my brother had span in mid air and landed on his back as the female husky Darkstalker landed on top of him.

"Sam, stop!" I yelled and changed into my cat form and jumped out of the window and landed to the side.

Sam moved quickly and got behind the female husky and wrapped his arms around her until he held her in a head lock.

The female husky cried out as she waved her feet wildly. She tried speaking but Sam buried her muzzle into the ground. He did it a few more times until the dirt started giving way and encased around her muzzle.

"Sam, Stop! It's Kassandra." I yelled and started pulling my brother's arm.

"Who the hell is Kassandra?" He asked and lifted Kassandra's face long enough for her to gasp loudly for air before he shoved her face back into the ground.

"She's Michael's girlfriend!" I replied and pulled his arm harder.

"Michael has a... Oh shit, that's right." He said and quickly let go of Kassandra who rolled her muzzled head to the side and coughed loudly.

"Kassandra, I'm sorry." I started but stopped when she waved at me and gasped loudly then spat out a chunk of dirt.

"I'm sorry, Michael's girlfriend, I thought you were a burglar or something." Sam said then wrapped his arms around Kassandra's waist and pulled her up.

Kassandra gasped loudly as she wasn't expecting that then coughed out one last time.

"It's okay" she let out in a graspy voice then beat on her chest twice with her fisted paw. "It seems to be a tradition that I get attacked by a werewolf every time I come here..."

"I'm Iris, Michael's cousin and this patchy looking fool is my brother, Sam." I said and shook her weak and slender hand.

Both Sam's fur and mine look a lot alike. We both had several different patches of black, orange and white. My fur seems to be more random than his, maybe it was due to the fact that I'm a cat and he's a werewolf.

"I'm Kassandra, I'm sorry for scaring you." She said in a voice that sounded a lot like normal.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"Come inside, I'll make some tea for your throat." I said and jumped back up in trough the window. Sam followed and I slapped him upside his head before Kassandra made her way in.

-0-

"Michael hasn't been responding to any of the phone calls or texts that I've sent him so I decided to check up on him." She said after she had sipped half of her tea.

"Hold up... So you're really Michael's girlfriend?" Sam asked stupidly.

"As far as I know, yes." Kassandra replied and stared curiously.

"Prove it." Sam said and I punched him in the arm. "What the hell?"

"Dumbass. Sorry about that, Kassandra. As you were saying..." I said and smiled when a light bruise appeared on my brother's arm.

"I normally text him after breakfast and he texts back whenever he has woken up but I haven't heard from him yet. I've called his cell and the house phone but nothing." She said.

I turned and saw the home phone that announced that there were 16 missed calls and 12 new messages.

'Holy crap' I thought but had better sense than to say anything. "Do you have any idea where they could be?" I asked.

"Just one: he asked me to look up an address, when he told me about what happened with his mother and sister after we woke up so I-" Kassandra started but was interrupted by my brother.

"Woke up? After you guys, you know..." My brother started and made a series of sound effects and gestures that steadily grew more and more annoying. He eventually tired himself out and stared at Kassandra. "After you guys, you know, had sex."

"What? No... I just snuck in and we talked until we fell asleep." Kassandra replied.

"Sorry, he's had too much sugar today, continue." I said and pulled on my brother's ear lightly.

"So I handed him my phone and let him look for it while I made them breakfast." Kassandra started "He came up with-"

"Wait, so you mean to tell me that you touched Aunt Christine's kitchen?" Sam asked then looked at me.

"Just to make breakfast, but I-" She replied.

"Well it was nice knowing you... I'll see you again during thanksgiving after you have been thawed out, stuffed, glazed, baked and served alongside some dinner rolls and mash potatoes and gravy."

"Okay, that's starting to freak me out. Michael and Mr. Taliban said the same thing."

"That's because it's true! Just like Rachel, she made a bad ass Christmas ham! We had leftovers for weeks! 'Can I have some more, tia?' I'd say 'Sure' She'd reply and give me some thigh meat in between two sandwich bread slices alongside some mayo and Dijon mustard." Sam amused himself as Kassandra wore a terrified look in her face.

"Who's Rachel?" I asked.

"You know! That one girl that cooked lunch that one day... The one with the eye... The one that was always happy and offered to help..." Sam said.

"You mean the one that never existed?" I asked.

"She could have."

"Okay, no more talking for you." I replied and I tried to pull his ear again but he moved sideways then pulled my hair. I gasped out then punched him in between his legs. He cried out and held himself as he fell out of his chair and hit the floor while groaning lightly.

I scratched my head slightly and gestured for Kassandra to continue.

"She's not actually going to cook me is she?" Kassandra asked quickly.

"Yes..." Sam groaned.

"No, it's just a family joke that she started. But she does dislike it when someone touches her kitchen." I replied.

"Oh, I'll make sure to not offer."

"No, you can offer. She likes that but she will always say that it's okay."

"Well anyway. He found the address he was looking for: It was the city hall. He later told me that they went to check it out but we're told to leave so they were going back at night. He said something about his uncle joining them."

"Yeah, mom kicked him out and he came over here to spend the night." I said as Sam groaned lightly.

"Is everything okay?" Kassandra asked.

"Yeah, well no... They found my dad. He had been shot and left to die in the side of the road. A little bit from city hall, now that I think of it..."

"Oh my God! I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, he's still alive and my dad is tougher than most so he should be okay."

I got a phone call. It was from my mother which made my heart skip a beat.

"Hello?" I asked when I answers.

"Iris? Um... Is your father there?" My mother asked after hesitating slightly.

"What? Isn't he there?" I asked.

"Well actually..."

-0-

I stared at the comical man shaped hole in the hospital wall. Someone had clearly tried jumping out of the window and missed so they took a piece of the wall with them.

"Did dad do that?" I asked after one of the nurses almost tripped on some of the rubble.

"Looks that way. I was walking out of the room, as the doctor instructed, and then heard a large bang and your father was gone."

"So... Has anyone found him? We are like five stories up... And he isn't a Darkstalker... So..."

"Shut up!" Manuel said sharply.

"Manuel-" Mom started.

"Dad wouldn't commit suicide!" He replied stubbornly.

"We never hinted that." I said. "Maybe Mammon took him too..."

"Who that?" Sam asked when he tried fitting through the hole but stopped when mom yelled at him to stop.

"The... Never mind." I sighed. Michael had explained that Mammon is able to erase people's minds. He also told me that both his and my memory weren't affected for some reason.

I heard my name in a small whimper. Nobody else seemed to have heard it so I looked around. I saw Ai at the end of the hall. She stared at me then disappeared into a room.

The police entered the room we were in and asked us to leave. Apparently, my father was now being charged for evading arrest, destruction of property and for confusing the officers since they didn't have an answer for the man snapped hole.

I walked down the hall as my mother repeatedly tried calling my uncle.

I walked into the room and the door closed immediately so I quickly spun around and stared at Ai who stood behind the door with her arms crossed. She pushed herself off the wall and started walking forward but the door swung open and smacked her in the face. Denise, Ai's younger sister, stared curiously as the door headed back towards her.

"Fuck me!" Ai let out as she held her nose.

"What happened?" Denise asked. "Why are you behind the door?"

"I was trying to be dramatic and mysterious!" Ai let out as she examined her nose.

I chucked lightly but stopped when Ai glared at me.

"Sorry... What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

Ai stared to say something then stopped and simply pointed behind me.

I turned and saw a beautiful purple and pink flower that was encased in a glass cover. The encased flower had five purple petals extending from the pink center of the plant. The stem was twice as big compared to regular plants, like roses or lilies. I leaned in closer to try and smell the plant but the casing around it prevented any odor to escape.

"Stupid ass, don't smell it!" Ai let out.

I flinched and moved back. "Why?"

"It's a modified version of the 11's." Ai said as she shifted her nose.

"What?" I asked." What's an 11?"

"She doesn't know" Denise reminded her sister and closed the door after she walked in.

"I know she don't... This one is nicknamed 11-M" Ai started and examined the small amount of blood in her hand. "It is supposed to surprises the demon's powers."

"Okay..." I started.

"Dr. Monroe wanted us to bring your cousin one but we couldn't find him. He said that it might be helpful." Denise said.

"We followed you here from the dog's house." Ai said and sniffed loudly.

"So what do I do with it?" I asked.

"Well you don't play ping pong with it." Ai replied. "You need to have Mammon smell it. His powers should become surprised, for a while, after doing so."

"Should?" I asked.

"Yeah! Should, as in it might work or it might not." Ai replied.

"So you're not sure if it'll work?" I asked.

"Mammon isn't a regular Darkstalker; in fact he seems to be something greater and dangerous." Denise said.

"So what if it doesn't work?" I asked.

"That's why we brought this, too." Denise said and reached into a bag. She showed me two fancy looking injection needles that were covered in a metallic case. Both needles had a green and purple liquid in them.

"11-M is the first of its kind so we don't really know how well it's going to work. So we brought extracts of 11-B just in case. These will surprise any Darkstalker's powers for around two hours." Denise said.

"So I just inject this in him? Where do I stick him with this? In the neck?" I asked.

"You could stick him in the ass if you want just get it in him." Ai said.

"So we stand a chance now?" I asked as I took the case from Denise.

"In theory... You just have to try and either have him smell the 11-M or get him with 11-B if you could get close enough, that is." Denise said.

"So what if I smell it?" I asked.

"Don't know... It's the first of its kind... It might or might not suppress you cat powers." Denise said.

"It might also have a weird side effect, who knows! It's untested and still in alpha." Ai said.

"How long does the effect last?" I asked curiously.

Ai frowned and shrugged. "Who knows...minutes, hours, days...indefinite even. What part of 'first of its kind' and 'untested' don't you understand?"

I surreptitiously changed the subject. "Now we just need to get to him." I said.

"Where is he? Do you even know that?" Ai asked me.

"I've heard that he's in the city hall." I said.

"You're not going there by yourself are you?" Denise asked me, sounding honestly worried.

"No... I'll ask the family. We're like a small army." I replied smiling.

"We also brought you this." Denise said and handed me a small bottle with a spray nozzle.

The spray bottle was small and discreet and looked like it was empty. The top of the liquid bubbled slightly then stopped when I shook it to make sure that the small container had something in it. It had a neatly pasted tag that read "115 (Extract), 17 fl oz" written in perfect cursive.

"What is it?" I asked.

Ai started to say something but her sister interrupted.

"It's an extract of 115, the memory flower. Just spray this so your family can smell and they'll remember whatever Mammon has suppressed.

"Interesting... Quick question! Do you have one that would make a guy...you know...like me." I asked.

"You mean a love potion?" Denise asked when Ai scoffed.

"Yeah, there's a certain neighbor I'd like to use it on." I said.

Ai reached into her pocket and pulled out another small container that looked exactly the same as the other one with the exemption that this one had blue liquid with pink shades in it. It had a similar tag with similar writing that read "16-4/7Q116 (Love Scent (Beta))."

"If that doesn't work you could always try flashing the guy." Ai said.

I frowned and looked up but both girls were already gone.

-0-

We went back home after hours of driving around and looking for my father who was now missing. We didn't find him anywhere. We searched his mother's house. We also returned to my uncle's house and even tried the nearest tire shop, just in case. My mom yelled at us to get to our rooms and we all had more common sense than to argue.

I lay on my bed as I heard feint but unmistakable sounds of sobbing. My mother was so distraught that she didn't even bother asking me where I found the plant I brought back with me.

I stared at it and sobbed quietly as the thought of my father being dead struck me. I heard Manuel open my door slowly and I rolled over to not have to face him.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he sat by the side of my bed and placed his hand on my arm.

I shook my head quickly as tears ran down the side of my face.

"Come here." he said and I stood up and hugged him.

"Where is he, Manuel?" I asked. I hated to admit but I became really childish whenever I cried.

"I don't know...but we'll find him. We didn't check the Mexican food restaurants or anywhere with the word 'taco' in its name." He said and I couldn't help but chuckle beside myself.

"You're such a jerk." I said and wiped the tears from my eyes.

"We cats have to stick together." He said and closed his eyes as black and white cat ears grew out of his head.

I gasped as the things perked shyly.

"You ARE a cat!" I let out and he hushed me as his cat ears disappeared back into his head.

He thought for a second then smiled. "Yes, I'm also a cat. Don't tell anyone, you're the only one I've told." He said.

"Why do you hide them?" I asked.

"What does uncle Jonathan always say?" He asked.

We both repeated what we've heard millions of times in our lives:

"Men are dogs and women are cats."

"Exactly." He said and patted my head.

"I still don't see anything wrong with it." I nagged him.

"Of course you don't, you're a cat." He replied.

"Shut up... Here, can I try something in you." I asked and pulled out the spray labeled "115" and held it up to him.

"What?" He asked and I sprayed some of the liquid in from of him.

He stared then sniffed loudly.

"What is that fo..." He trailed off and twisted his head slightly.

I stared at him as his head shifted left and right as he muttered under his breath.

"Who is that with Helena?" He said quietly as if he didn't dare talk, In case that it would stop the memory.

I sprayed him again and he flinched then said a single word: "Zeke."

"Do you remember him now?" I asked.

My entire family had completely forgotten that Zeke had even existed. To them, Helena never showed off her boyfriend during Michael's 18th birthday party. They never even knew that Michael's neighbors had a son.

"Why did I forget him? He seems...important." Manuel mumbled.

I explained how Zeke had something otherworldly inside of him and after a few gay jokes; I finally helped him remember everything.

"So Zeke-" He started.

"Mammon, the thing in him is called Mammon." I corrected him.

"Mammon...kidnapped Helena and Aunt Christine?" He asked after I finished telling him that exact same thing.

"Yes." I said patiently.

"...and Michael and Uncle Jonathan were probably kidnapped by him too?"

"Probably..."

"...and...you still owe me 20 bucks for that candy I bought you when I was 12." He said and stared at me.

I started to say something then remembered that he was right so I pulled 20 dollars from my wallet and handed it over.

"We need to spray mom with your magic liquid." Manuel said.

"That sounded a lot dirtier than I care to admit so let's go." I said.

I sprayed my mother and brother with the liquid and Manuel and I helped them remember.

After an hour my mother had called what we considered our family, which consisted of: the Oblivions and the Ayalandos. My mom tried calling her friend Samantha Mepp but she wasn't available.

The living room was crowded with half animals that were recalling memories and old unpaid debts, an hour and a half later.

Alexandria Ayalando, my unofficial aunt, reminded her husband, Ray, that she is still mad at him for forgetting their anniversary seven years ago.

After a small briefing of what was happening and with only minor swearing, everyone was up to speed.

"So has anyone found Uncle Jeff yet?" An Oblivion twin asked.

"No." I replied.

"We believe that Zeke might have kidnapped him too." Sam said. It wasn't the truth but it made everyone feel better. I tried believing that too, sometimes a lie is more comforting than a possible truth.

"So who the hell is Kassandra?" My uncle Ray said because he had to say something as his wife wouldn't stop pestering him about things that he never got around to doing.

"That's Michael's girlfriend, the one who knew where Zeke is hiding." Sam replied.

"Can we bring her here?" My unofficial uncle Richard Oblivion asked. "She could probably tell us more."

"Well we don't know where she lives." I replied.

"I'll find her." My unofficial aunt, Aye Oblivion, said and pulled out a small make up kit and looked into the small mirror in it then disappeared. A few seconds later she reappeared with a very confused looking ginger girl who had nothing but a bath towel on.

"This her?" Aye asked and held up one of Kassandra's hand.

"...yeah." I said reluctantly.

Kassandra beamed red as she stood in front of everyone who stared at her. She held on to the towel as if she would die if she didn't.

I took Kassandra into my room and handed some of my clothing then walked out so she could get dressed. I stood in the hall as Kassandra kept asking questions.

"So who are those people?" Kassandra asked as she reluctantly put on some underwear that I recently bought but never tried on. I told her she could keep it, even if it wasn't a perfect fit but it would do.

"Family, in every way that matters." I replied as I heard her struggling to put on one of my pants.

Her body type was different than mine; she had more of a curvy body while I didn't. Girls notice things like that, even if we don't mean to.

"...and who was that lady who grabbed me as I was walking out of the shower? I had to fight her so she would let me wrap a towel around me."

I smiled and noticed a lot of the younger males trying to listen in. I let my right hand shift into a cat paw and I extended my very sharp claws and they all disappeared.

"She's my aunt Aye, a little unorthodox if you ask me. She's married to my uncle Richard. His sister is married to my uncle Ray who was in the military for years before retiring and becoming a novelist." I replied as I examined my cat paw.

"Very, hey do you mind if I just take a skirt?" Kassandra replied after giving up on the pants.

"Go ahead" I said.

-0-

Ten minutes had passed and we had walked back downstairs and Kassandra started explaining what she told me and Sam earlier.

"You didn't touch Christine's kitchen did you?" One of the Oblivion twins asked.

"Yes, I mean no..." Kassandra said reluctantly.

Everyone stared. Some smiles broke off in the crowed.

"I call dibs on a leg!" Felix Ayalando, my unofficial cousin, let out and some laughter broke out.

"I get an arm!" Aiden Oblivion added.

Kassandra turned white as everyone started naming the body part that they would want for dinner, without sounding perverted, and laughing.

"They're not serious are they?" Kassandra asked me.

"No." I said. "They're just having a little fun. The grownups have been telling their kids that for years. Poor Poe still believes that his mother is going to have Aunt Christine roast him if he doesn't help his twin brother clean his room."

"That's a pretty mean joke." Kassandra said as color returned to her face.

"Well it works...their room is spotless." I replied as the laughter slowly died down.

"Well what do we do?" Felix Ayalando asked.

I didn't respond. I looked at my mother who started to say something then stopped when my uncle Ray cut everyone off.

"Well, it's obvious isn't it?" He said as he stood up on a chair then threw his arms around to regain his balance. "We need to help them! We need to be there for them as they've been there for us!"

Everyone muttered words of agreement.

"So we're going to city hall then?" My mother asked.

"Yes...just after I make a phone call." Ray replied.

"Who are you calling?" Alexandria asked.

My uncle Ray smiled and looked through his contacts on his cell phone. "Some old war buddies..."


	11. Chapter 11: Wolves Travel in Packs

_Chapter 11_: **Wolves Travel in Packs**

I groaned as I awoke for the second time that day. I was held up by the shackles around my arms on the far south room of the dirtiest room I've ever been in, and that was saying a lot as my room was a close second. I knew that I was somewhere under city hall but I didn't exactly know how deep. The room was inside of an underground base that looked like it was created a few days ago as the perfect rounded edges hinted that the dirt and rock that was here before simply vanished.

I looked around and saw graffiti on the opposite wall that read "Mammon likes to watch!" I couldn't help but smile slightly. My bones ached and my muscles were sore.

I had awoken earlier and I was taken to see Mammon who insisted that I would be beat if I didn't join his organization. So I did what any person would do: I told him to fuck off and covered my face as the six overgrown men re sculpted my body with their feet.

I spat out blood then heard the door open surreptitiously. A small lunch box slid and stopped next to my right foot. I looked at the door and saw a figure hold his finger to his lips then close the door slowly.

I stared at the lunch box that lay by my foot. It had a picture of a dog with a bow over its left ear as it was in mid jump and reaching for a Frisbee.

I frowned. "This must be some kind of fucked up joke." I said. I was unable to reach for the lunch box and even less likely to be able to open it.

I scoffed and kicked it as hard as I could. It flew and hit the wall on the other side then slid and hit the floor. I grinned but stopped when my stomach announced that it wanted food.

"You're such a jerk!" A voice said in my head.

I looked around then noticed the lunch box start shaking. A hand appeared from the lunch box's handle, followed by another. Feet grew out of the bottom of the lunch box as the sides opened which made a sandwich and a juice box fall out. In less than a minute, the lunch box had turned into a girl that stretched and groaned.

The girl had chestnut colored hair. She was a tiny girl; no taller than 5'2 and probably around 90 something pounds. She wore some loose yellow shirts and a light blue shirt that barely covered her belly button.

I stared at the girl and couldn't help but feel confused, astonished and slightly aroused.

"You don't have to kick us..." The girl said.

"Who... Wait!" I said and snarled slightly when I recognized the girl.

She was the same one that turned into a net and wrapped around my father.

I shook violently as I tried breaking free to attack the girl. I then changed to my werewolf form and snarled loudly. The girl quickly walked over and wrapped a slender hand around my muzzle. I flinched as I wasn't expecting her to do anything like that. She was a lot stronger than she seemed, a lot stronger than a girl her size should be.

She hushed me and listened for any noise that might have come from the only door.

"Mammon doesn't know that we're here." She said then let go of me and walked back to pick up the wrapped sandwich and juice box.

"I must be imagining things..." I said. "One of Mammon's minions is talking to me."

The girl placed the items on the nearest table and placed her hand on the side of my muzzle.

"Do we feel real now?" She asked and looked into my eyes.

I didn't reply. I simply glared back at her. I was honesty too numb to really feel her hand.

She removed her hand then slapped me. "What about now?" She asked as she rotated her arm.

"Ow..." I said. I wasn't being sarcastic, that actually hurt.

She unwrapped the sandwich and held it in my direction. I shifted backwards and stared at her. I was hungry enough to trust one of Mammon's minions but I wasn't stupid enough.

"What? You don't trust us?" The girl said then smacked her lips.

She closed her eyes and a dog tail appeared from her lower back, followed by a pair of dog ears. The set looked exactly like mine did. I had no doubt that she used her shape shifting powers to make them appear, she didn't have any real animal powers at least none that I could see.

"Do you trust us now?" She asked.

I simply stared.

She sighed then bit into the sandwich.

"Now?" she asked as she chewed.

I watched her chew the sandwich thoroughly and swallow. I tried my best to not seem desperately starved but the wolf in me forced me to lick my lips in desperation.

She smiled and placed the sandwich in front of me again and I reluctantly bit into it. It was ham and cheese with a light coat of mayo; not bad. I bit into the sandwich again and the girl flinched as one of my fangs had touched her finger.

"Sorry." I said.

"It's okay." She said and fed me the rest of the sandwich. "Mammon wants you weak and starved so he could make you join him. All you have to do is agree and you're fucked."

She opened the juice box and drank some before offering it to me. It was awkward drinking from a straw with my muzzle so I shifted back to my human form.

"All done?" She said and threw the packages away.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked.

"Because you're the only hope we have of defeating Mammon." She said and clapped bar hands together.

I raised an eye brow. "But you work for him."

"Says who? It's quite the opposite actually. We want to stop him." She replied and pulled out some gum from her pocket. She tore it in half and placed a piece in my mouth.

"So who are you?" I asked and chewed on the gum.

"So do you trust us now?" She asked and showed me the other half of the gum.

I let her give me the other piece of gum, without even suspecting it of being poisoned. I flinched and she chuckled and placed the other piece of gum into her mouth and chewed loudly.

"Relax, doggy. If we wanted you dead, we would have killed you already."

"Yeah, Mammon wants me alive." I added, just to prove that I was paying attention.

"We're not talking about Mammon. We're talking about us." She said and pointed at herself. Her hand shifted into a small golden dagger and she held it in my direction. "If Edward wanted you dead then Edward would do it, but we don't kill people. Edward lets Edward do that.

"We as in you?" I asked in a confused voice.

"We as in us." She repeated.

"Huh?" I asked.

"Okay...our name is Edward. We...as in I don't really exist...well I do but I don't, are we making sense?" She asked me.

"Uh...what?" I asked.

She sighed. "Edward is actually my male companion. I am a manifestation that he created from a part of his soul. I can shape shift because I really only take this form as it's the form that my male companion is used to."

The door opened and the male that tossed the lunch box walked in.

"He's in Germany right now, he'll be back in a few hours." He said and smiled at me. "Hi Michael, hope you liked the sandwich."

"Why are you helping me?" I asked bluntly.

"Edward, Michael doesn't trust us."

"That's because you confused him." He said.

"So you're both Edward?" I asked.

"Yes." The girl said quickly.

"Well I called her Malorie but I made her from my stubborn part so..." He stopped and gestured towards the woman.

"No!" She started. "We're Edward! We like being Edward!"

"I'm Edward, you're Malorie." Edward said.

"You be Malorie! We want to be Edward!" The girl said.

"Malorie, stop being acting like a child." Edward said.

"Who's Malorie? I don't know any Malorie..." The girl said stubbornly.

"Malorie!" Edward said and held out his hand.

"No, okay! Fine we'll be Malorie!" The girl said.

"Close enough." Edward said.

"You guys are fun to listen to." I said and tried to not sound amused.

"Yeah we'll she's stubborn and I'm a sucker for tradition." He said and examined my shackles.

"So who are you?" I asked.

"My name is Edward Fern." He said.

"...and I'm Ed...Malorie Fern." The girl added.

"No, you're just Malorie." Edward said as he touched the keyhole in my shackles.

"I want to be Malorie Fern!" The girl pouted.

"Fine, whatever! Come here." Edward said.

"No! You don't let me be Malorie Fern."

Edward signed and walked up to the girl and quickly wrapped a hand around her neck. The girl gagged slightly then smiled and shrank until she became a small and old key.

"Does she feel anything?" I asked as he stuck the key into the keyhole of my right shackle.

"Yeah but she doesn't want to sometimes, so she doesn't." Edward replied and pulled they key out, which looked different now. He rubbed on it and changed its form slightly before pushing it back in then pulled it out, it looked different compared to the last time.

"She said that she doesn't exist." I said.

"She doesn't." Edward said. "She only exists because I do. It's kind of like what God did. He made someone out of his image."

"Sounds like blasphemy to me." I said.

"It was just an example." He said and turned the key. The shackle broke loose and I fell. He did the same with the other and threw the key in the air.

The key hit the floor and bounced a few times before rattling on the ground and laying still. The key then shook a few times and a started expanding until Malorie pushed herself onto her feet.

"Edward's mad at you!" She said.

"No, Malorie is mad at me." Edward replied.

The girl stopped when she acknowledged the point and smiled briefly then stretched and walked over.

I massaged my arms tenderly. It has been hours since I could relax them.

"So why are you guys helping me?" I asked.

Edward looked at me and smiled. "We're here to help because nobody else would. We are part of Nanandrophy, you've probably heard of us. I-"

"WE!" Malorie corrected him.

"...I infiltrated and joined Mammon's organization when it first became a threat."

"Aren't you guys scared that he'll find out? I mean he isn't exactly subtle and he can read minds." I replied.

"Yeah about that...he can only read the surface of our minds, what we're thinking at the time. It's easy for me...us!" He continued and looked at Malorie who smiled approvingly "...to just not think about why we're actually here. I'm sure that he's not at his full power yet so he can't do half the things that he should be able to do."

"What if he does find out?" I asked.

"We'd probably be killed on the spot... We're not drones so he wouldn't have a use for us." Edward replied easily.

"What's a drone?" I asked and looked at Malorie who pulled another juice box from her pocket and handed it to me. "Those aren't part of you, are they?"

She smiled and shook her head.

"Oh yes...his drones... Mammon isn't always on, meaning that he isn't always able to use his power as it does take too much out of him. He is still too weak to fully manifest in this world so he uses a vessel, in this case, that one kid. During his off time he depends on his three drones. He named each one something but nobody can understand what as he says in that weird and ancient language."

"That makes sense. But are his drones who I think they are?" I asked.

"He has kidnapped certain animal Darkstalkers and played with their minds. He has suppressed certain memories so that only the basic animal instincts manifest...so it's kind of like he has a pet instead of a servant. At the moment he only has three; a jaguar, a white tiger and a wolf. He had a horse drone but he rode her until she sprained her foot, one day, and he had someone have her put down."

"That's just cruel..." I said and thought about the girl's poor family that probably didn't even know that she was dead.

"Gee you think?" Edward replied. Anyway...so if we're to get near Mammon, then we'd have to kill his drones."

"We can't kill them!" I let out immediately.

"Why not? They wouldn't hesitate to kill you on command." Malorie said so she wouldn't be left out of the conversation.

"Because the wolf isn't a wolf... She's a werewolf." I said.

"...and? Some silver should work, the classics can't be wrong!" Edward said. "I'll have Malorie turn into a silver sword or something so we could shove it right up her ass!"

"...she is also my sister." I said.

Both Edward and Malorie let their jaws drop.

"...and the white tiger is my cousin, in every way that matters."

"Michael, I'm sorry I didn't mean anything by that. Do you know the other girl?" Edward said quickly and defensively.

"No, how do you know my name?" I asked.

"Aeissa keeps us informed." Malorie said as she still had her hand over her mouth.

"Who?" I asked.

"You probably know her as Ai; I refer to her as 104." Edward replied.

"Her, yes I know her." I said. "So what's the plan? We go in and kick ass then take names and if we just happen to save someone then so be it?"

"Well we're..." The man started then trailed off. He smiled and looked at the cuffs behind me and then at Malorie.

"What?" Malorie asked as she examined her nails.

"Michael, can you break those?" Edward asked and signaled at the shackles that held me in place earlier.

I raised an eye brow and looked at the shackles. They were leather at the wrist that were held by a metal chain. I grabbed the left shackle and pulled but nothing happened so I changed into my werewolf form and tried again. The chain groaned and clanked before breaking.

"Sweet!" Edward said and took the broken shackles then dumped them in a basket at the end of the room.

"Malorie...MALORIE!" Edward said.

"Huh?" Malorie asked. She clearly wasn't used to responding to that name.

"How long can you hold a transformation?" He asked.

"About as long as you could go without getting laid." Malorie said then smiled. "That's right! I know everything you do, Mr. Diana Ross bathroom impersonator."

I snickered quietly.

"Shut up..." Edward said.

"So what's the plan?" I asked.

Malorie smiled as Edward walked closer. Edward held Malorie's hand as she began to shrink and changed until she became an exact replica of the shackles that were holding me earlier.

"It's time to play a game." Edward said and dangled the new shackles. "No wait...what does the Saw guy say it? That would have sounded cooler!"

"The moment passed." I stated.

"Fuck..." Edward replied and slapped the shackles on his hip.

-0-

"So He had this crush on this girl when he was 10 but Edward never told her." Malorie continued as her voice sounded in my head. She had been talking for the past three hours while in shackle form, she was wrapped and made to look exactly like the old ones did. I was fed and let go to used the bathroom, by Edward, before I was re shackled and tortured by Malorie who was bored and decided to tell me about Edward's life..

I didn't say anything. I had stopped replying all together as I now knew a lot more about Edward than I ever wanted to, things like: his first time, what he does in the shower, what he does before bed time and his favorite show tune.

"But he never told her so she eventually moved away. Why do guys have that problem? Anyway! So he's been stalking her on this social network site for about a year now. He's too scared to actually send her a message, even when I nag and nag and nag and nag and nag and nag him to do it."

Luckily, the door opened, right then, and two large men came into view. One was the military type, standing upright and scowled heavily, standard issue buzz cut only had one or two gray hairs. The other was short and slender but he only took that way to make people think that he couldn't deliver one hell of a punch.

"Thank God." I muttered.

They both unhooked the shackles from the wall, but didn't remove them from me. The military man picked up a collar that was on the table, which was also part of Malorie, and wrapped it around my neck. They both produced a leash from their pockets and wrapped it around the rings that were on opposite sides of the collar. The military man pulled me forward as the shorter man stayed behind so I wouldn't be able to attack either of them.

"I look good on you." Malorie said when we passed a full length mirror.

I heard Umbra's laughter echoed inside of my head. "She really does Michael! You're going to be in the next episode of Pimp My Mutt!"

We walked down the corridors and passed people and things that stared at me. A few admired my courage, others spat on the ground before me.

I looked around to see that it was night now. I stared at the full moon and my werewolf features forced themselves into reality.

A man walked up and punched me then laughed. I lashed at him and both men held me back effortlessly.

The military man led me forward and I made a mental note to kick that guy's ass the first chance I had. I looked outside and noticed a figure moving, followed by another then another. All the figures ran on all four and kept to the shadows, but you couldn't hide much from a werewolf's sight.

A figure stopped and stated at me. The bright orange eyes made me smile as I had recognized who the figures are, who they had to be.

We walked down the corridor and finally entered the largest room in the entire building. The room was spacious and elegant. Several different people and things stood to the side and stared at me as I walked in. Some laughed and other stated. I heard a soft noise which was followed by quick feet movement.

I looked as saw Mammon sitting on a large chair, with one leg over the arms rest and the other hanging lazily. He wore a bored yet mischievous expression on his face as he held a bright green tennis ball in one hand. He tossed the ball to the other side of the hall and I saw my sister run on all fours after it. I flinched as I saw my sister actually enjoying herself as she chased after the ball. She stopped in front of it and picked it up with her mouth then took it back to Mammon to pull it out of her mouth and tossed it again.

My sister looked like she always did when she was in her wolf form. Her bust and crotch area had wolf fur while her arms and legs had paws. She seemed to enjoy the exercise greatly as she happily ran back and forth, on all fours, to retrieve the ball.

He threw it once again and my sister jumped into the air and barely missed it which made some of the people standing around laugh.

"Mammon, we brought him to you." The military man said.

Mammon ignored him and kept tossing the ball.

"Mammon, we brought-" The military man started again but stopped when Mammon simply threw the ball again.

My blood was boiling at this point. There was no doubt in my mind that he was doing this to send me a message.

"She does seem to make a good pet." Malorie said and I pulled the shackles apart slightly which her cried out in pain slightly.

The military man handed his leash to the nearest Darkstalker and walked up to Mammon.

"I'm talking to-" he started but stopped when Mammon used his right hand to wrestle the ball from my sister's mouth and held his other hand in front of the military man who now floated in the air. Mammon held out a stainless steel dog bowl, that wasn't there a second ago, and hold it under the military man who turned into water that mostly fell on the dog bowl. The rest of the water splashed onto the ground and on Senna and a female jaguar Darkstalker who were asleep by the chair. They both shook dry then growled at each other before laying back down.

Mammon places the bowl next to my sister who sat while panting with her tongue out.

He placed the bowl on the ground and stared at my sister who stared at the water bowl.

Mammon smiled and said something which made my sister start to move to drink from the bowl. Mammon said a sharp word and my sister snapped back. Mammon repeated the first word and my sister lifted her front legs to beg and whimper slightly.

Mammon smiled and stroked my sister's face. She wagged her tail and began to lick some of the water that was still on Mammon's hand. He smiled and said something else and she fell on all four and started drinking from the water.

Mammon tossed the bright green ball to a man who stood next to him. The man caught the ball and shook it once. The ball stretched and changed until a tall and thin woman who wore a bright green cat suit now stood by the man. She stared horrified at Mammon as the man shoved her roughly and out of the room.

"Never had a pet..." Mammon said as he stood up. "They're actually quite fun, even though they are simple minded creatures. You should try it Michael, come on! You would make a good pet, I'll walk you and feed you and even let you sleep on the side of my bed."

Some laughter broke out among the hundred and some odd people who stood in the room.

"Go fuck yourself, Mammon!" I said and someone punched me in the midsection.

I grunted then quickly bit his hand before he had time to retreat it. The man yelled then moved his hand back and merged back into the crowd.

I ostentatiously smiled and licked the blood off my lips to show everyone that I wanted them to take me as a real and definite threat.

"I'll ask you once more, boy! Join me!" Mammon said.

"I actually miss the beatings, so I'll say no once more." I taunted him.

Mammon laughed and gestures towards me. "He misses the beatings!" Mammon repeated and moved around the room. People laughed as he walked up to me. "So beatings you shall have."

I felt a sharp pain as someone punched me in the back. A woman kicked me in the back of my knee and made me kneel. A man kicked the side of my head and forced me onto the ground. A group of men and women proceeded to stomp on me until I started coughing out blood. A woman held a large pot and let it drop on me, it must have weighed at least 30 pounds because it hurt like hell when it fractured some of my ribs before breaking.

People laughed and hackled as I lay there and took the beating. Mammon sat back down on his throne and smiled as he watched. Helena moved closer and Mammon scratched the back of her right wolf ear.

A man picked me up and tossed me towards the center of the room where more people proceeded to stomp and kick me.

Mammon whispered something into my sister's ear and she took off running happily. Senna and the female jaguar followed.

I noticed a window slowly creep open and a purple and pink flower slowly floated then descended until it stood on the right side of Mammon's chair, while everyone was too preoccupied to notice.

A woman pulled out a fire poker and hit my arm as hard as she could with it until it bent and became useless but not before I heard a large cracking noise that came from my arm. I forced myself to stare at Mammon who sneezed once and rubbed his nose.

"Enough!" Mammon said.

The people immediately stopped and moved back. I tried moving my right hand but stopped when I felt a sharp pain. I looked down and saw my funny bone sticking out. It slowly began to make its way back inside of me, my body heals itself but this would take a while. I groaned and tried turning over but my legs were numb.

"I can do without you." Mammon said and knelt next to me.

"No you can't." I said."...or you would have done it already."

"Yes I can actually." Mammon said and held out his hand and a black and red dagger appeared. He cut his finger and let a single drop of blood fall to the floor that cracked slightly as if to try and remove itself from the unholy blood. "Do you know who else I can do without?"

Mammon smiled and gestures as a blue and purple flame emerged from the floor. Mammon stared at the flame curiously for a second then gestures sharply. It appeared that he was having trouble using his power; maybe it had something to do with the purple and pink flower that floated into the room.

The flames twitched and danced until they finally expanded upwards.

Senna and the female jaguar emerged from the flames as they walked backwards on all fours. They each had an end of a rope in their mouths as they dragged someone out through the flames, a woman. The woman had her hands tied by the other side of the rope that Senna and the jaguar had in their mouths. The woman's clothing was torn and dirty. She pleaded with Helena who sat on her stomach and licking her left paw as if to show dominance

"Helena, baby is me: you're mother! Snap out of it." The woman said as Senna and the jaguar dragged her closer to Mammon.

My eyes widened as I finally was able to see the woman's face: it was my mother. She looked as if she had been kept alive to simply be used as a bargaining chip to have me join Mammon's ranks.

She pleaded with her daughter and niece in vain and gasped loudly when she finally noticed me lying on the floor with broken bones and blood on my fur.

"Michael! Michael are you okay?" She asked loudly.

"Mom, don't worry about me!" I said as feeling returned to my legs.

Mammon teased me and gestured to Helena, Senna and the jaguar girl. Helena jumped off my mother's midsection then moved forward. Senna and the jaguar moved past each other and so they could turn my mother around and have her face the floor.

My mother started to look up at me and Helena grabbed her mother's hair with her mouth and pulled so she would be forced to keep staring down.

"I can also do without your sweet and useless mommy." Mammon continued.

I growled loudly and threw myself onto my feet. Two men grabbed the leashes that we're still wrapped around my collar.

I pulled on a leash and pulled the leash that was being held by the smaller man, who had come to the room earlier to help bring me here. I punched him as hard as I could, with my broken hand, and he hit the floor. I then stomped on his head two or three times and he stopped moving.

Several more men and women moved forward and held on to the leashes so I wouldn't be able to do that again.

Mammon smiled and gestures with both hands. He frowned when nothing happens then gestured against and a steel axe emerged in his hands. Mammon felt the axe for a second then shook his head.

"You either join me or you're mommy loses her head, literally. You will lose yours too. I believe that you'll make a fine rug. I might even have your rear paws removed and made into slippers, my feet do get cold at night." Mammon said and readied the axe. "It's funny how people remain stubborn until the end. I really don't care. Beheading people is actually entertaining."

My mother screamed for me to let her die and to escape but we all knew that I wasn't that kind of person. I forced myself to stop swaying as feeling had almost fully returned into my feet and the rest of my funny bone disappeared into my arm then looked directly at Mammon.

"You know what's funny?" I said. I had been noticing a couple of figures gather outside of the windows. I was only able to make out their silhouettes but I counted at least five now.

Mammon raised an eye brow. "The fact that you think that you could buy some time?" Mammon said and let the axe slowly touch the back of my mother's neck.

My mother yelled and kicked but Helena, Senna and the female jaguar simply pulled harder.

"No, the fact that you don't know that wolves always travel in packs." I said.

Mammon stared at me with a confused look in his face. "What" He asked.

I twitched my right hand and the rear window shattered. Mammon dropped the axe which twisted and fell on the female jaguar and knocked her out, making her let go of the rope end that she held on to. Mammon gasped loudly and fell to the floor and lay motionless after a few twitches. A single bullet hole was indented into the side of his head.

Several Darkstalkers gathered around Mammon's motionless body, some gathered to see if he was dead and other to verify. A man picked the axe up and tried continuing where mammon left off but dropped the axe after another bullet found its way into his head.

My mother yelled and used her freed hand to grab at her hair, to try and relieve some of the pain that her daughter was doing as she still pulled on it.

"Ready?" I heard Malorie say inside of my head.

I flinched as I actually had forgotten that she had transformed into what held me in submission.

"Go!" I yelled and my right shackle broke off, almost instantly. The left one stills as still in position but I at least had the ability to move my hands freely now.

Several of the people who held on to the leashes on my collar gasped loudly when they noticed my free hands. I lifted the shackles to touch the collar around my neck which made the piece snap open and merge together with the shackles, which caused the people fall backwards and on top of each other.

A harpy woman tore through her clothing to reveal the hundreds of feathers that covered her, larger than normal, body. She flapped wildly with large bird like wings and dove at me with an extended talon in front of her while shrieking loudly.

I moved to defend myself when Edward appeared in front of me. I didn't see him move or manifest, he was simply there. He had his back to the harpy as he ostentatiously held his hands to the side as if he was posing. He hardly flinched when the harpy crashed at his back.

Edward winked at me once and grabbed the shackles from me and tugged them once. The shackles turned into a golden sword after a second. He twisted the sword on its hilt and thruster it between his arm and waist to dig into the female harpy who shrieked and cried out as the sword had stabbed her in the side of her midsection. Edward let go of the sword and quickly turned around which made the harpy flinch long enough for Edward to quickly grabbed the sword and pulled it out of her then use it to cut off the harpy's head with one elegant swing.

She fell to the floor and twitched wildly before finally dying. Her head gasped loudly as if by instinct and died. I gagged as blood spilled onto the ground.

A small child flew down and fell on all fours and started drinking the blood from the ground while it was still warm. Edward and I made disgusted noises and the small boy turned and hissed to us. His lips and teeth were covered in the blood. Edward groaned and stabbed the small child in the eye and forced the sword in until it came out of the back of the child's head.

A woman ran towards Edward with a knife and he quickly turned around and cut her down. Blood dropped off the blade as if its very existence denied the blood, either that or Malorie didn't want anything staining her sword snapped body.

I leaped forward and clawed at a man that snuck up on Edward. I cut his throat and watched him as he fell down then died.

"Two out of three isn't bad." Edward said.

Two dozen people that stood in the back ran at us as fast as they could. Each had an improvised weapon in their hand.

Edward threw the sword at the first one who hit the floor as the sword speared his heart. Edward then fell backwards to dodge the attack from a woman with a chair leg in her hand. He grabbed the chair leg in mid swing and back hand slapped her hard enough to knock her down.

I kicked a man who held a broken bottle of wine before he had enough time to sneak up on Edward. The man fell back and accidentally stabbed his own arm with the glass bottle.

Edward fell on the floor and used his feet to send the first woman flying through the air behind me. He then rose to his feet and dodged a gorilla man's attacks. Edward flailed and stumbled backwards until the gorilla swing at him with all his force and Edward let himself fall backwards and pulled the sword, that was still in the man's body, and used it to cut the gorilla's arm off with it. The gorilla man yelled and cried out as he moved to hold his new stump with his hand and Edward cut that one off too. The gorilla man cried out and Edward slashed the sword three more times and the gorilla man fell to the floor in four different pieces.

"You're too noisy!" Edward complained and shook the sword so the blood could fall off it quicker.

Some of the people who once thought about attacking us fled back into the crowd while other's pondered if they should attack. A few actually pleaded to be spared and some other followers killed them, on general principles.

A gunshot was heard from outside again. I heard a man fall to the floor behind me. I didn't even notice that he had been sneaking up on me. I looked outside and noticed my uncle Ray standing next to another man, dressed in military camo, who knelt behind a perched bolt action sniper rifle. They both nodded at me and I couldn't help but smile, it was good to have family.

A woman moved to stand in front of the window to see who was shooting but fell to the floor one gunshot later. All the windows in the hall busted open and four shapes tackled the first person they saw.

The first shape was a man. He jumped at the nearest man then picked him up and tossed him towards two other individuals. The figure extended a white tiger paw and exposed the insides of another man's chest with one quick slash. My uncle Richard, in each way that mattered, smiled at me then kicked a woman in the head. He wore a baggy blue jeans and an unbuttoned dressing shirt. His hands and feet were replaced with paws that resembled a white tiger's. He didn't have any fur on his body but was still somehow able to make the illusion of white tiger fur.

The second figure was a woman. She jumped on a woman then hissed when a man grabbed her by the waist and threw her towards a wall. The woman quickly curled up into a perfect ball and bounced off it and struck the man in the face which knocked him off his feet. The figure stayed in that shaped and smashed into two women. A large man pulled down a curtain and used it to subdue the bouncing ball in it. The improvised sack shook and the man fell on the stuffed curtain and lay there smiling. He then gasped loudly as blood oozed from underneath him. He was thrown aside and my grandmother Felicia rolled to the side and shook some blood from her claws. She winked at me then dodged an attack from a man. She wore nothing but a smile, her long blue hair that had a gray hair here and there, and the patches of white cat fur that covered a little more than was needed.

The other two figures were also women. The first one ran, on all fours, in between several people, she took out random people as she went along. People tried reaching for her but she was always able to make them miss. The second figure ran through the opposite side and also took out several people as she ran by on all fours. The two separate groups ran after each of the two women until both women were cornered and forced to run towards each other. Both groups chased them into the middle of the room and both women slowed down slightly to let the groups catch up. The women met up in the middle then quickly jumped and used the other's feet to push themselves back backwards as the waves of people smashed into each other. Some of the group actually killed other members as they held knives and other sharp weapons in their hands. Both women looked around then looked at me. They were my aunt Lilian and Alexandria.

Aunt Lilian wore nothing but her fur that started on her pawed legs and swiveled around her body to cover what was necessary and merged into the paws that she wore as if they were arm length fur gloves.

Alexandria's animal form was new to me as I have never seen her while she wore nothing but the fur that she used as bra and panties and a couple of vertical slashes of fur around her midsection and back. She never learned how to fully transform into wolf form so she never practiced.

I picked a man up and used him as a throwing weapon as I launched him towards a group of women.

"That doesn't count, okay. I still haven't technically attacked any women." I said

"Whatever makes you happy." Edward said. "You guys handle this; I've got to do something."

Edward sheathed his sword into the scabbard in his back, that wasn't there a moment before then pulled out a cell phone and called someone.

"104, this is Heartbreaker-7 I repeat, this is Heartbreaker-7. Seeds are planted, need some sun, over." He said and ran off into the corridor as the person in the other line replied.

"Edward, what the fuck are you talking about? Quit calling me 104 and speak like regular people do. Who's Heartbreaker-7?"

"I was trying to sound cool, Aeissa..." Edward replied and disappeared further into the corridor and out of ear shot.

I turned in time to see three men and a woman running at me with blades in their hands. I readied myself but fell back when the nearest wall broke open. The concrete pieces crashed into the group who were knocked back as the chunks that didn't kill them, knocked them out.

A werewolf stepped through the hole and smiled at me. He howled loudly which made the nearest people flinch and cover their ears. Half a dozen people actually ran out of the room.

"Michael..." The werewolf said. He wore some torn blue martial arts shorts that were older than dirt, with a yellow belt around the waist. Grandma asked and nagged and bitched him to throw them away but he kept them and said that they reminded him of the past. His blue and white fur showed all traces that it wasn't trimmed or kept in any way as it would spike and peer over his head to make it seem as if he was bigger than he actually was. He looked dangerous and in no way subtle which made me glad to have him in my side.

"Grandpa..." I replied before he let the blue energy manifest around him and flew towards the nearest group of people.

I heard my grandma sigh and complain about my grandpa's karate shorts.

A man picked up the axe that Mammon had conjured and headed for Aunt Alexandria. She turned in time but flinched as the man swung at her. Alexandria braced herself for the impact but a bullet flew in through the window and took the man out.

Alexandria smiled and blew a kiss towards the window.

A few more gun shots were heard and my uncle Ray stepped in through the window with a tactful knife in one hand and a 9mm gun in the other. He shot anyone who came close that he didn't recognize.

A man crept up behind him and he simply jerked the knife backwards and stabbed him in the throat. He walked closer to my aunt and kissed her before tossing the knife in my direction. I stood still as the knife barely missed me. I turned in time to see a woman that stood right behind me with a dagger in her hand and one that hit her in between her eyes. She waved slowly then fell to the ground. I looked at my uncle who shot at two more people before reloading and winking at me.

He wasn't a Darkstalker. Was a regular man that wore some camo pants and a dress shirt with way too many pockets. He let the gun clip fall to the ground and he pulled a new one from one of his shirt pockets and stuck it in the gun. He cocked it and shot three more times and taking out three more people. He then reached to his back and pulled out a knife and threw it towards my grandma. The knife hit a woman who decided to subdue her by using the hug technique. The woman let go and fell to the floor as the knife dug into her left thigh.

I spat blood quickly and noticed that several more people had made their way into the halls. I moved away from a Darkstalker who looked like a praying mantis. His hands were extended and curved to look like long blades, which he used to strike at anyone who didn't move out of his way fast enough.

My grandpa, grandma, Ray, Alexandria, Aunt Lilian, Richard and I were forced into the center of the room. There were at least 60 people now, which moved in closer. The praying mantis Darkstalker stood in the background, waiting for one of us to make our move.

The group that surrounding us moved closer and we all fought them as efficiently as we could but it was clear that we around be overrun in a matter of seconds.

Everyone pushed forward then stopped suddenly as the people in the back of the crowd were attacked. The crowed fell back and away from us to reveal six new figures, some stood while other finished attacking.

I looked through the figures and smiled. They all wore nothing more than their various animal furs.

Sam Gonzales was dressed in some loose blue jeans short and his black, orange and blue werewolf fur. The patches of color seemed to blend together as he would swing and claw at the people around him. He fell on all fours then looked back and jumped at a man. The man cried and pleaded for Sam to not kill him. Sam reverted his right claw into his human form and punched the man until he passed out.

Iris Gonzales wore her black and orange cat fur. Its design was different as she spent years perfecting it. Her fur was supposed to cover her entire body but she, as well as most of the females in the family, wanted to show off her assets so she had experimented with the outfit she wore now. Her hands were actual cat paws that extended into her arms. The top of the arms were filled with black fur that would occasionally have splashes of orange, while the bottom still showed her human skin. The arm fur split into two strips: the first one connected with the fur choker that was around her neck while the other fell and stood on top of her cleavage. The fur appeared again and split into a V that revealed a not so subtle part of her bust. The fur ran down her midsection and thinned out to reveal part of her human hips then thicken again as they formed the paws on her feet.

Deziree Oblivion clawed at a woman before letting her drop and crawl away. Her white tiger fur was less complicated in all aspects. Her hands were large white tiger paws that ended at the wrists. The fur continued to form something that looked like a tank top that stopped just over her belly button and a fur skirt, which was always puzzling to everyone as it hung around her instead of being attached to her skin. Her feet were also changed into paws that differed in length depending on what foot you looked at. The right foot had fur that reached up onto her knee while her left one was only half that.

Joanna Oblivion was dodging attacks from a woman that swung at her with a large and heavy looking book. Joanna moved and dodged gracefully before back flipping and kicking the woman in the chin with her left foot. She was in full white tiger form. The only thing that distinguished her from her brother was her female form and the black patch on her left eye.

Aiden Oblivion held a man in head lock while both his younger twin brother punched and scratched him. All three of them were in full form. I wasn't able to differentiate the two smaller white tigers, I just knew that one was Jimmy and the other was Poe. One of the Oblivion twins head butted the man in between the legs while the other gave him a wedgee.

Felix Ayalando tackled two men into the wall then kneed one of the men in the mid section repeatedly. He let both men drop and stood there in his partial white tiger form. His hands and feet were paws as well as two large stripped that formed an X in his chest. He wore some cargo pants that had a belt that was never fastened. He was always the calm kid that got picked on a lot so I imagined that he felt relieved that he could take some rage out on somebody.

"What the hell are you kids doing here?" My grandmother asked in protest. She blocked a man's attack then pulled on his arm to dislocate it then she let go of the arm and ducked as another man swung a chair at where she was and ended up hitting the man who just got his hand dislocated.

"We're helping!" Announced one of the Oblivion twins. Who bend down behind a man that Iris had pushed. The man fell over one of the twins and hit the ground hard. He began to get up but the other Oblivion twin dropped a lamp on his head. It was kind of like watching a child version of The Three Stooges, back when Curly was still in it.

"Didn't we tell you to stay home?" Richard asked.

"...and miss this?" Sam said.

The rest of Mammon's followers started regrouping and moved forward again but stopped when four of their fellow followers were thrown in through the window. They all flinched and looked in curiosity.

I stared as Samuel stepped in through the window. My jaw dropped when I noticed the black and white cat ears, paws and tail coming out of him.

"I knew that you were a pussy!" Sam said when he noticed his younger brother then apologized when his mother glared at him.

Manuel flipped his brother off then smiled at everyone and finally at me and flickered his cat ears quickly the pointed behind me.

I turned around and saw the praying mantis standing right behind me. He stood up and swung at me. I dodged and fell to my side. The mantis moved quickly and stabbed my right arm with his blade. I howled as my family moved closer to help. Ray and the man outside shot at the Darkstalker several times but stopped when their bullets didn't even affect him. He moved his other blade to strike me in the head. I moved my hand in a useless effort to block the attack then felt his blade jerk and let go of me.

I cringed slightly as the wound quickly healed. I looked at the mantis that was now on the side of the room on his side. I stared at it while trying to figure out what happened when a blue and white werewolf claw was extended towards me. I turned quickly and saw my father smiling at me. I took his clawed hand and he helped me up. I side hugged him then noticed a golden spiked collar around his neck.

"Go help your mother." He said and removed the collar around his neck and held it next to him.

The collar stretched and distorted and Malorie quickly formed herself from it.

She smiled and stepped aside as Edward appeared from thin air.

"No hard feelings?" He asked my dad.

"We're good." my father replied and butted his fist.

Malorie clapped her hand and bounced excitedly.

The mantis slowly rose to its feet and my father took off to attack it.

The group of followers regrouped and moved to attack the rest of my family. I took the time to crack my knuckles and headed towards Senna and Helena who still held my mother on the floor.

Both girls growled at me as I walked closer. Senna let go of the rope and stepped closer on all fours. My mother groaned and tried forcing herself up but Helena pulled on her hair and growled until she moved back down.

"Remind me to ground your sister when this is over." My mother said.

"You got it." I replied.

Senna growled and ran at me. I dodged her and she landed then turned around and jumped at me again.

She knocked me down and I used my feet to toss her aside. I didn't want to hurt her as she was still my cousin and none of this was her fault.

Senna jumped at me again then started scratching me wildly with razor sharp claws. She stopped and moved to bite me but was forced aside when Iris tackled her.

Iris punched and slapped her while yelling things like "This is for making fun of me" and "how about you return my cd's." I moved to stop her when I was forced onto the ground again. This time it was by Helena who had jumped on me. She bit into my arm repeatedly before scratching me with her hind legs.

My mother moved to pull Helena off me and she scratched her in the arm before barking loudly. A figure moved quick and tackled Helena off me.

I stood up and checked on my mother's bleeding arm. I hugged her gently then looked her over.

"Mom are you okay?" I asked and examined her arm.

"I'm fine, Michael, really." My mom said and flashed me her best reassuring smile. "Michael why is your girlfriend here?"

"What?" I asked and turned to see Helena be tossed aside by a female husky Darkstalker.

"Every time I come to see you, Michael, I get attacked by a werewolf." She yelled and sat on my sister's back.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as Helena whined loudly as Kassie knelt on her arms.

"I couldn't leave you alone. Maybe this way, your mom won't serve me as appetizers when she finds out I used her kitchen. Oh...hi Mrs. Taliban." Kassie replied and smiled weakly at my mother.

"How about I give you your choice of seasoning and side dishes?" My mother said playfully.

Kassie frowned and looked sadly at her.

"Okay fine...this makes you immune." My mother said as I wrapped my torn shirt around her arm. "Just this once though."

"I appreciate that!" Kassie said. "Go help your family!"

I nodded at Kassie and smiled at my mother expectantly.

"Fine!" She started, "I approve of her and the hundreds of freckles in her bloody ginger face."

"Bloody?" I asked.

"Your dad got me saying it, now go help your father!"

I smiled and kissed my mother in the cheek then turned to see how everyone was doing.

The groups of people were still fighting my family who now had two brown and white huskies helping them out. I assumed that they were Kassie's twin brothers.

A man swung at Iris but one of the brown huskies stopped the attack then picked the man up and threw him through a window.

"Thanks." Iris said to the husky.

"You're welcomed." He replied.

"I'm Iris."

"I'm Fabian."

Another man swung the conjured axe at both of them who barely managed to dodge the attack.

"Can we flirt later? I'd rather keep my head right now." Iris said.

"Fine by me." Fabian said and punched the man in the face as Iris kicked him in the groin.

I moved but stopped when I saw Manuel dodging attacks gracefully. His cat form made him a lot more agile than he normally was. He swung at a tall and supernaturally slender guy with wings coming out of his back. The man grabbed his arm and smiled. Manuel tried swinging at him with his other hand but was also stopped by the man. The man laughed loudly as Manuel struggled then made a sound that sounded a lot like a combination of a hiss and a howl and his cat attire started changing. His round cat ears shifted and became longer to have more of a pointed shape with extra fur coming out of the tips. His narrow and long tail shortened a few inches and became furrier. His cat paws thinned and became longer until they looked a lot like my claws. His entire body was now covered in black and white fur. He howled loudly and grabbed the man's wrist and pulled hard enough to dislocate it which made the man cry out. Manuel swung at him again and knocked him out with a single blow.

He turned to look at me as his muzzle formed in his face. He was no longer a cat, he was now a werewolf. It seemed that Manuel had the ability to change between both races. It finally made sense why he never showed his true form as he never really had one, just whatever he wanted to be. He nodded at me then tackled a group of women off his brother.

I moved to help my father who was still trying to fight the mantis that moved quick and attacked quicker but my father was barely able to dodge his attacks, let alone fight back.

I ran closer but stopped when another werewolf jumped through the window and stood in front of me.

My eyes widened and I paced backwards when I saw him.

He wore some torn blue jeans and a destroyed shirt over his plain black fur. His brown eyes examined me ferociously.

"Michael!" My father yelled then kicked the mantis in the head and ran towards me.

My father stopped and in front of the other werewolf as they both examined each other curiously. My father sniffed loudly as if trying to recognize his scent but couldn't.

The black furred Darkstalker quickly tackled my father which forced him to be tossed aside. I moved to help but stopped when I realized that the mantis's claw had just struck where my father was.

The black furred werewolf stood up on two legs and grabbed the mantis by the blade and threw him aside. My father howled and tackled the werewolf to the ground and stood on top of him.

"A man should always shake the hand of the man who just saved his life." The black furred werewolf said. His voice sounded dark and seductive.

My father flinched and examined the werewolf's claw that was extended towards him. He then shook the hand slowly. The black werewolf then started performing a type of secret handshake that my father copied perfectly. My father stared at the werewolf who was smiling meaningfully at my father.

"How do you know that handshake?" My father asked. "Only one other person knows it."

"Your sister does too; she nagged me until I showed it to her." The werewolf replied.

My father's eyes widened before he smiled a devilish and relieved smile.

"Jeff?" My father asked expectedly.

The werewolf simply nodded and showed some l very sharp looking teeth.

"Jeffrey Gonzales, you sly son of a bitch!" My father said and hugged the werewolf that was my uncle Jeffrey

"I was wondering how you would react." My uncle replied.

I moved closer and my uncle butter my werewolf fist with his. We all shared a laugh but stopped when we noticed the mantis Darkstalker moving towards us. My father got off my uncle and we all stared at it.

"Left, right, center?" My uncle said.

"Works for me." My father replied.

"How do you guys do that energy thing that you guys do?" My uncle asked.

"You have to be visceral." My father replied and shifted slightly.

My uncle chuckled. "I don't even know what that means."

My father moved left as I moved right. The mantis tried to attack us all at the same time but missed. My uncle ran forward and punched the mantis in the face while my father and I tackled the midsection. The mantis growled and moved to cut at me but was interrupted when my uncle grabbed the claw. The mantis shook my uncle who let go when the blade cut deep into his chest. My father and I both moved forward and the mantis struck at my father who moved sideways and instinctively kicked the blade and angled it enough to make the mantis tear his own stomach open.

The mantis cried out and swings at me but ended up cutting off his legs. He fell to the side and gasped loudly as his insides slowly poured out. He swung wildly at us until he finally stopped moving.

My father and I moved closer to Jeff who lay on the ground with the deep cut into his body.

"This sucks..." Jeff said.

"What does?" My father asked.

"Imma die because of this...It's just like in the movies, man."

"Shut up." My father said and bit into his arm and poured some blood into my uncle's would.

"Man, this has got to be the gayest shit in some universe." My uncle chuckled as my father's blood merged with his.

"You think that everything is gay." My father said.

"...or retarded." I added.

My uncle started to say something then coughed loudly the arched his back.

I saw the rest of my family finish off the group and start to move closer. My aunt gasped loudly when she saw my uncle and recognized him, almost as if by instinct.

"Oh...my...God! Jeff? Jeff that's you isn't it?" My aunt said historically. "You better not die! You can't, we still need you!"

I noticed Iris stand up and look in this direction with her ears perked on her head. Both Senna and Helena were unconscious. I saw Kassie putting a handkerchief and a bottle of chloroform away.

The wound finally closed as he groaned and my father helped him to his feet.

"Man, I can't even die in piece." Jeff said and dusted himself off. My aunt tackled him for the ground and held on to him.

"I thought I lost you! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" My aunt said while tears were running down her face.

"Hey, I told you that I'm yours forever and ever, even if you do get jealous as all hell."

My aunt moved her left claw back and lightly punched my uncle in the stomach.

"Even as a werewolf, you're still a jerk!" My aunt said. "Promise that you won't ever leave me."

"Until the day I die, baby." My uncle said and kissed my aunt.

"I can help with that." Someone said.

We all turned to look at Mammon who grunted and forced himself onto his feet. We all stared as he stuck two fingers into his head and pulled the bullet out.

The man outside shot two more times. One hit Mammon in the arm and he deflected the other.

"Shamus." Started Ray. "Get out of here! We'll handle him."

I saw the man grab his riffle and take off running into the night.

"That wasn't very nice." Mammon said and yelled something old and ancient.

He stared as nothing happened. Edward smiled as he finished taking down a group with a very large and comical looking hammer and ran towards him. The hammer shifted back into its sword shape as he swung at Mammon who barely dodged the attack. Edward swung and span gracefully but was never able to connect a hit. Mammon grabbed the foot of a one of his unconscious male followers and tossed him at Edward. He fell backwards as Mammon ran back.

Mammon quickly ducked next to a bleeding follower and used his blood to draw a medium sized pentagram complete with symbols that only he understood. Edward tossed the unconscious body aside and moved towards Mammon who was chanting something.

Edward slashed at Mammon but stopped in mid swing. He looked at us in pain then the sword flew off his hand and dug into the bare stone on the roof of the room. Richard grunted loudly then flew backwards through the nearest wall.

We all cried out as air manifested around the circle to form something that looked a lot like a very large floating snake. The snake shook wildly and threw Mammon back and though another wall.

The snake's body came out from the pentagram and extended towards us. We all scattered but the snake moved quickly and tackled everyone onto the nearest wall. I jumped to the side and the snake used its tail to throw me back. I hit the wall head first and black out.


	12. Chapter 12: Mammon

_Chapter 12_: **Mammon**

I gasped lightly as I awoke inside of a dark room. I slowly rose to my hands and knees but stopped when I couldn't rise any further. Someone had connected a chain to a heavy duty collar and strapped one side around my neck with the other end welded into a small but heavy duty clip in the ground.

I jerked back repeatedly but it wouldn't budge. I then tried pulling the chain with my hands but the heavy duty metal simply clanked and shook but held its form.

"I've been trying that for hours." I heard someone say.

I turned and looked around the room and saw that my father was sitting in a similar position as I was with an identical chain and collar around his neck.

I looked around and noticed the rest of my family in the room, in one way or another; all the animal family members (my father, grandpa, grandma, Uncle Jeff, Richard, Manuel, Sam, Poe, Jimmy, Aunt Lilian, Alexandria, Iris, Joanna, Deziree and I) were chained to the ground, while the humans members (My mother, Edward, and Ray) we're simply shackled into the wall and forced to stand on a platform. My uncle Ray stood right on top of Richard while I was right under my mother. Edward was held up by a similar manner while Malorie was incased in a plastic dome next to him. Fabian, Henry and Kassandra Josèphe were all inside of a cage hanging from the ceiling.

Iris slowly woke up and groaned until the chain pulled on her too. I was actually surprised to see her wake up as fast as she did when she was normally a really heavy sleeper.

"What the hell?" She asked and held the chain with her left hand. "What's going on? Michael, what did you do?"

"Yeah blame me...I'm in here too remember?" I replied and reached over to kick Sam who snapped awake.

He bolted up and grunted as the chain snapped him back down.

"Wow... Chained up and I didn't even get laid." Sam said and rubbed his neck.

"Ew!" Iris let out and picked up a tiny piece of loose gravel and threw it at her brother.

Sam caught it and threw it at Manuel who opened his eyes and looked around. He noticed the chain and slowly got up while holding the chained leash around his neck.

"Iris, I know that you want to experiment but I'm your brother remember..." Manuel said and grinned with his wolf muzzle.

"Shut up! And I thought that you were a cat! What happened?" Iris asked.

"Oh yeah...about that... I'm actually both. I can change between both races when I want. I'm still forced to keep the keen hearing and sharp sense of smell when in human form though...I still can't stop those and I've tried, believe me. Sam, remember to spray something in your room after you and Natilhie go at it...I can smell it the rest of the day."

"EW!" Iris let out and covered her cat ears.

"That's nothing." Sam started. "You should see the things that we've done in your bed, Iris."

"Ew! Ew, Ew, Ew, Ew...Ew!" Iris said and shook her head.

"She's not allowed in your room anymore, Sam." I heard someone say. We all turned around to see my Aunt Lilian stretching as she awoke.

"Aw, mom!" Sam let out.

"...or in anyone else's room either." Aunt Lilian said and shook Jeff awake.

"Un tácito de lengua ma... Claro... Pon le cebolla, please." We all stared at him as he drooled and kicked wildly in his sleep. Iris held her pawed hand to her mouth and giggled as her father continued talking in his sleep. "Pollito, pollito, pollito con papas. Pío, pío, pío, dice el pollito... No it's: Uno ochocientos dos veinte y dos veinte y don veinte y dos..." His werewolf voice sounded distant but dark, even when he spoke Spanish.

We all stared in confusion while Iris, Sam, Manuel and Ray laughed out loud.

"What's he saying?" I asked curiously.

"He always talks in his sleep." Aunt Lilian said and poked my uncle with her foot again. "He always dreams about food."

"You speak Spanish now?" My father asked.

"I've been married to him for almost 20 years now. He's like one of those tapes that teach you things if you listen to them as you sleep. He talks all bloody night and most of his dreams are about him asking his mother for food or about some stupid lawyer commercial, Jeff get up!"

Jeff snorted loudly and opened his eyes. "Is breakfast ready?" He said before he noticed the chain around his neck. "Lily, is this a new bedroom game? What happened to the handcuffs?"

We all made a sort of uneasy sound as my aunt's face beamed red with embarrassment.

Jeff looked around and noticed us staring at him. "...hi..." He said and smiled weakly.

"Okay first, ugh!" My father started. "...and second...how is it that you're a werewolf now? The blood I put in you should only have healed you."

"Funny story really..." Jeff said and shifting his jaw as if talking with it was still new to him. "After you coughed up all that blood into my wound and were dragged into the building. Some dude named Edward appeared in front of me and cleaned up my wounds and pulled out a bottle filled with the blood that you spilled."

"He didn't spill it! I told you that I extracted it out of him..." Edward said.

"Yeah that's the guy right there..." My uncle said as he pointed with a wolf claw. "He said that I was going to die. That I would never see any of you again but I might have a chance if I were to drink the blood. I wasn't going to do it; I mean drinking blood...I'm no freaking vampire. He said that it was up to me and left the bottle next to me and vanished. I knew that I was dying as Mammon had shot me in the stomach. So I drank the blood while thinking of my family, I wasn't going to leave them behind. I passed out after that then woke up as the first transformation happened and became a werewolf for the first time and the bullets inside of me oozed out and I was healed. Not fully of course, I wasn't a full werewolf, but enough to let me stand up and stumble around and look for my gun."

"Why did you look for your gun?" Aunt Lilian asked, honestly curious.

"It's a family heirloom." Jeff relied.

"Of course!" My aunt said angrily.

"Most families have jewelry or properties...the Gonzales have a gun." My father laughed out.

"Do you want to hear the rest of the story? Okay then... Did anyone find my gun by the way? No...damn it... Anyway... The next thing I remember is changing back as morning came around and passing out by the highway. I heard a car screech to a stop and someone ran out of their car to examine me. I awoke in the hospital with a nurse holding a needle by my arm. She was talking to someone so she wasn't paying attention."

"He's scared of needles." My aunt said.

"I literally jumped out of the bed and something in me forced me into werewolf form, maybe because I was scared or something. Anyway...so I jumped towards the window and hit that metal stand thing with that liquid thing and tripped and went through the window."

"The window?" Sam asked. "You took out the wall and left your imprint in it... You went all Looney Tunes on that bitch!"

"That's the Gonzales legacy, m'ijo! We'll be remembered for years to come. People will be like 'who did that?' and the nurses will be like 'that...that was a Gonzales." Jeff said and butted his son's first then tried his hardest to not make eye contact with his wife who glared at him because he didn't say anything when his son swore. "I then landed on the ground and took off running, by instinct mostly, and went towards my house. Now I didn't have any idea where I was so I didn't know where to go, exactly. So I went into the nearest tire store..."

"Ha!" Manuel let out.

"...and after I scared the customers off I started wondering around, out of sight, until night when I saw all you guys running here. I was going to tell you guys but I figured that I could make a once in a lifetime entrance."

"I'd be mad at you if your voice wasn't so damn sexy." Aunt Lilian said.

"Okay, since nobody is going to ask the obvious question, I will." Said another voice. We all turned around to see my grandfather waking up and pulling on the leash around his neck. "Where the bloody 'ell are we? I could have a go at the bathroom, right about now."

"Hey dad." My father and aunt said at the same time.

One of the Josèphe twins groaned and made a sound that sounded a lot like passing gas and woke up then looked around him.

"What the hell happened here?" He asked.

"Hi, Fabian." Iris said quickly.

"Hi, Iris." He replied.

"You could tell them apart?" I asked Iris who beamed red.

"Fabian has a little more brown on his left arm while his brother has thinner paws." She replied.

I compared the twins and did not see anything different between them so I shrugged and sung the "Iris and Fabian, sitting in a tree" song.

An hour passed and we were all awake now. Nobody knew where we were but we all remembered getting attacked by a snake like manifestation.

Kassie complained as her brother knelt on her back. The cage wasn't large enough for the three of them to be in so they made the best out of it.

"Mama... I've got to go potty..." One of the Oblivion twins said.

"We'll get this sorted out in a minute, baby, hold on." Aunt Lilian said.

The door slammed open and we all turned to see Mammon limp into the room. He held a dagger in his hand as he leaned on a girl for support. The last of his followers that we didn't kill, beat down or scared off. The girl sat him down in a chair that appeared out of nowhere and stood by him as he gasped loudly for air. He seemed weak and tired, defeated even.

"What did you do to me?" He asked and coughed out blood.

We all stood quiet and stared at him. I heard Iris mutter something that sounded like "11-M" and smiled.

"You bastards did something to me!" He said while raising his voice but he seemed too tired for it.

We all looked at him quietly.

He growled loudly and forced himself up but sank into his seat. He coughed again and the girl offered him a bright pink and white handkerchief, which he refused before spitting on the ground. The woman balled the handkerchief and threw it aside. It hit the wall and slid down and just sat there.

"I...give you my word that you will all be let go...if...you just tell...me what...you did and how to...stop...it." Mammon gasped out. It was clear that he was weak. Zeke's body was cut and bruised. Mammon would normally regenerate and not have it show but there was no such glamour in his face.

"It seems like you're pretty much dead...why would we help you?" My father asked.

"Because...of...your daughter..." He said and clapped quickly and my sister ran into the room on all fours. "I don't need to kill you...I have these to do it for me.

Helena paced and sat down by Mammon's side and whimpered slightly. Senna and the jaguar entered the room a few seconds later and sat behind Helena.

Ray, Alexandria and Felix cried out when they saw Senna. It was clear that they didn't notice her before.

My father and mother stared at Helena who grinned back at them.

Mammon stood up and swayed then leaned on the girl to keep him from hitting the floor.

I stared at the girl. She was the same one that turned into flower petals and encased me so I could be captured.

The girl smiled a devious smile at me then at Edward.

Mammon motioned for the girl to let him go and she did. She made a sharp noise and the jaguar girl stood up on all fours and kept her back straight. The girl bent down and sat on the jaguar girl's back then folded her arms and crossed her legs.

"You'll probably kill us anyway!" My mother yelled at Mammon. "Let go of the girls and we'll tell you what you want."

Mammon shifted uneasily as it my mother's yelling was affecting him.

"I...will let everyone go..." He started and grinned. "That includes my pets..." He groaned and stood in front of my mother and me. I moved forward to stand in between them but he jerked a hand and I was tossed aside. The chain stopped me from going too far as it was still wrapped around my neck.

I gasped loudly as I fought to breathe again.

"Tell me!" Mammon said and readied the knife.

My father snarled and pulled on the chain wildly as Mammon now stood in front of my mother. The chain held, even as my father pulled with all his enhanced strength.

Mammon stabbed the wall next to my mother, which made her cry out slightly. Mammon shifted uneasily for a second as I slowly stood up. Mammon looked at me then groaned and jerked his hand again.

I was thrown again and held out as the chain around my neck stopped me from flying back but it was choking me.

My mother kicked Mammon in the face with made him drop the little concentration he had and I fell to the ground.

I gasped loudly as several family members and friend yelled my name worriedly.

Mammon cried out and pulled the knife out from the wall and stabbed at my mother. She shifted left and yelled as Mammon barely missed her each time.

Mammon punched my mother in the midsection and moved to stab her again. The knife disappeared right before striking my mother which made Mammon and my mother flinch.

We all looked at Mammon then towards my uncle Richard when he made a slightly noise. Aye played with the dagger with her left hand as she scratched the back of Richard's ear with her right.

"Right at the last second." Richard said.

"That's my MO." Aye replied and bent down to kiss Richard in his small muzzle.

"Who the fuck are you?" Mammon said in an outraged.

"Aye Sedo Oblivion Cho!" She said and cocked a hip and stared at Mammon.

Aye Oblivion was my aunt, in all ways that mattered. She married my unofficial uncle Richard three years after meeting. She wore an elegant black dress with purple lip stick and black eye liner. Her hair was in a ponytail and she had two glass butterfly earrings that we're easily removable. Aye was a Darkstalker but not like us. She was able to make in-adamant objects appear as well as teleport anything she could see, which included herself; she always carried a pocket sized mirror inside of a make-up case.

Helena came running from nowhere and Aye looked at her. Helena instantly vanished and appeared in the right side of Mammon and tackled her master to the ground. Helena's simple minded nature immediately jumped off her master and looked around. She ran towards Aye again who made her disappear and reappear once more to fall on Mammon again.

Mammon gestured and Helena jumped off him and lay on the ground as she whined and whimpered. Mammon smiled and looked at Helena with an "I can't stay mad at you" look then turned to see Aye.

"Get her Rachel!" Mammon said and stumbled back. Helena ran up to stand next to Mammon and helped him stay up.

The girl that sat on the jaguar girl sighed and uncrossed her legs. She put both hands on the jaguar girl's back and pushed herself up. She stepped forward and adjusted her hair.

"You have your three guard dogs and you yell at me to do your bidding..." She complained and stared at Mammon who tried glaring at her but didn't have the strength for it.

Aye tossed the knife in the air slightly and grabbed it by the hilt.

The girl named Rachel burst into the pink flower petals as her clothing dropped into the floor. Senna saw the clothing drop and clawed at it to make sure that it wasn't alive then left the torn mess when the animal in her got bored.

The pink petals quickly wrapped around Aye and formed into a strength jacket that held Aye in place. Aye didn't struggle; she simply dropped the knife and stared at is as it bounced in the ground.

The knife bounced and shone until Aye was able to see herself in it and disappeared. Aye reappeared right next to the straight jacket and picked it up then got the knife and looked into it again before disappearing. She reappeared inside of the plastic container that held Malorie and stabbed the tip of the straight jacket and forced it to hang on the wall. Aye then looked at the shinny plastic and disappeared and she was suddenly in from of Mammon. She kneed him in the stomach and grabbed him by his hair. Aye removed her right earring and looked into it and disappeared once again, taking Mammon with her.

We didn't see where Aye had taken Mammon but we heard clamor as the followers that were left ran down the hallway to assist Mammon. Helena, Senna and the female jaguar looked around at us then ran out of the room to help.

We all looked around and I tried breaking the chain again but failed.

We turned suddenly to look at Malorie who shifted her hand into a pizza cutter and cut a hole into the plastic container.

A gasp was heard from the straight jacket.

"Oh God!" She started and mumbled something that was diminished by the plastic.

"You always were one to complain, weren't you, Rachel?" Malorie said and unhooked the knife from the straightjacket. She lifted the jacket and shook it once, as if to try and strengthen it out.

"Everyone turn around." Edward said and glared at us until we did.

Some sounds of complain and disapproval were heard until we were all asked to turn back around.

The woman, named Rachael, stood outside of the plastic container that Aye placed her in. She now wore a white dress shirt that had the outline of a black bra. She had some black pants and some inch high pumps.

"Toss me my clothing, will you?" She said and signaled to Iris.

"No!" I said and signaled for Iris to stop. "She works for Mammon, remember? We can't trust her."

"That's what you said about me and Malorie." Edward said.

"Where is she?" I asked. "Where's Malorie? She was in there with you, where is she?"

Rachel's hand shot up involuntarily. She stared at it with a surprised look.

"Present!" A voice said. The voice originated from the clothing that the girl named Rachel was wearing.

"Are you wearing...Malorie?" I asked, honestly curious.

"Well, it isn't the best but it's not like I have a choice... It's not like I was planning on Mammon's drone to tear up my clothing, speaking of which..." Rachel's breast started wiggling and she giggled and told Malorie to stop.

"Just give her the clothing, Iris. We'll explain everything after we are all free." Edward said.

Iris stretched her leg while grunting. She was finally able to reach the edge of the ruined clothing pile and drag it closer.

She tossed them to Rachel and stared.

"Thank you... You can come out now, Scarlett, he's gone." Rachael said and pulled out a small key from her pants pocket.

"Thank the lord!" A voice said and we all looked around. "For a second there, I thought he was going to cough blood all over me."

I looked at Joanna who stated towards the door curiously. I turned and saw the handkerchief, which the girl named, Rachel, dropped. It started to shake until a leg appeared from the top of it. It was covered in a pink and white latex suit. More of the leg shot out until a second leg formed on the other side of the handkerchief. We were all staring now as the rest of the handkerchief extended and changed into a girl in a pink and blue catsuit.

I recognized the girl. She was the same one that I saw earlier while she was in ball form and being used as a toy for my sister.

She cracked her knuckles and shifted her head then lifted her left leg behind her and used her hands to pull it until it cracked loudly. I turned away, not because I didn't want to see the girl stretch and grown but because I knew that Kassie, my girlfriend, was watching.

The girl named Scarlett let her hair fall and shook her head then lifted her hand and spat out a key. She walked over to Edward and unlocked his shackles.

"Thank you, Scarlett." Edward said.

"Yeah, well as long as I'm concerned, you're still my brother in law." Wendy said and removed the shackles on his feet.

"I miss Wendy, Scarlett...I really do." Edward replied.

Scarlett chuckled and stood up straight. "You're not the only one."

"Edward..." I started. "What's going on?"

"This is my sister in law, Scarlett Ubendscmhith." Edward said and took the girl by the hand and spun her around once so we could all take a look at her.

I heard Kassie growling softly and I knew that I was going to get the cold shoulder really soon.

"Is she working with Mammon?" Iris asked.

Scarlett scoffed and cocked a hip then handed the key to Edward.

He moved over and unlocked the collar around my neck. "No, she's in Nanandraphy too. I met her sister there and we hit it off. We were to be married a month ago but she was killed in a hit and run."

"So you aren't the only one that infiltrated Mammon's layer?" My father asked when Rachel started removing my father's collar.

"Nope, it is just the three of us though. Me, Scarlett and..." He turned and looked at the woman named Rachel curiously. I looked and saw her grunting as Malorie had changed into a corset that tended to tighten and loosen at random. She now wore some heels that were at least 10 inches high and Rachel held onto the nearest wall to keep from falling over.

"You win!" She said and sighed slightly. "You do make pretty clothing, now can I stand correctly? I feel like I'm going to fall over!"

"Malorie! Stop! Leave Rachael alone!" Edward said and moved to untie the corset.

"She said I didn't have any style in clothing." Malorie announced.

"You're technically made from a guy... So yeah you don't have a fashion sense."

"I'd be mad if that wasn't true."

"Them fools act more like bigger fools than Sam and Manuel." Jeff said and looked at his sons who were busy trying to kick the other one without letting himself get kicked.

"Anyway." Edward said. "It's Scarlett Ubendscmhith, Rachel Lemmings and me."

"Don't forget me!" Malorie said and lifted Rachel's right hand again. She forced it down with her other hand and her right hand came around and slapped her. Rachael gasped and punched the shirt but ended up hitting herself instead.

"Yeah, and Malorie." Edward added and removed the leash around my uncle's neck.

-0-

Four minutes passed and Edward and Rachel had released all of our restrains lowered Kassie and her brothers. Kassie came over to hug me and whisper "I can be flexible too." In my ear.

Rachel took the time to explain what had happened:

Mammon had summoned a snake creature but didn't have the strength to control it. Iris explains that the purple and pink flower, which Luna had carried into the room while invisible, was supposed to suppress his powers. Rachel continued to tell us that in his weakened condition Mammon had ordered his few followers to lock us in here but while that was going on, Aye and she made a plan to act out a convincing scene like the one we just saw.

A man flew by and passed our room and hit the wall several feet back. More grunting and yelling was heard from the hallway. Richard ran out of the room to help his wife.

"Let's go!" My grandfather said and led everyone out. I stayed behind and looked around.

Nobody was in the room so I stood straight and closed my eyes.

I felt someone wrap their arm around me and hug me from behind. I opened my eyes and saw the black furred paws that belonged to Umbra.

"You wanted me?" Umbra asked seductively.

"Yeah...what else can I do?" I asked.

"You mean power wise?"

"Yeah." I replied.

"Well apart from your taikku you can also inflict fear with your howls; you're father did that earlier. You can move quickly, you're super strong."

"Is that it?" I asked.

"You could use your fur to take a hit for you." Umbra replied and caressed the fur on my chest.

"How?" I asked.

"The technique is called felusu, yes I did come up with the name...I was bored damn it. Basically your fur extends and softens blows for you, kinda like your grandfather. Did you notice that his fur is thicker than normal?"

"I did notice that." I said and remembered my grandfather's thick mane of fur.

"That's it for your father's side..." Umbra started and walked in front of me.

"Wait... Do you mean that I got abilities because of my mother too?" I asked curiously.

Umbra started to say something but stopped and looked at me. "You really don't know do you?" She asked and grinned. "I bet that even she doesn't know."

I was going to say something when Iris was thrown by the door and looked at me.

"A little help, dog boy?" She said and ran back.

I sighed and Umbra disappeared. I ran out and into the large room again. Everyone was fighting one of the remaining followers.

I jumped and grabbed a woman who was about to stab Kassie. I held the woman and Kassie slapped her several times then kneed her in the midsection.

"See..." I started. "I don't need to fight women; I got you to do it for me."

"Oh shut up." Kassie said then kissed me and ran off.

"Women..." I said and let the woman drop.

My mother ran up to Mammon, who was sitting against a wall, and threw the purple and pink flower at him. Mammon gasped out as the pollen filled his senses. He gestured abruptly and my mother was sent flying back.

I saw my father back hand slap a man quickly then jumped to catch my mother then land on the floor.

"My hero." My mother said and moved to kiss my father.

"Well I still need someone to cook and clean for me." My father replied smiling and my mother laughed and shoved him playfully.

I tackled a man who came at my father from behind with a chair.

Several more people ran into the room and stared at us. We all stopped and looked back as we were all surrounded by at least one hundred followers. There were 24 of us but we would eventually be overwhelmed. I looked around and saw several of my family members tired and sweating.

One of the Josèphe twins was gasping loudly but stopped when Iris wrapped her hand around his.

Mammon stood up and swayed and looked around. "I'm done with you." Mammon said while crushing the flower under his foot. "I see... The flower is responsible. I'll need the antidote now."

"Go fuck yourself Mammon!" My mother yelled at him.

Mammon stirred uneasily, it was the second time that he did that after my mother yelled at him.

Mammon grunted and disappeared. He reappeared in front of my mother and moved to stab her with the knife. My mother screeched out a high pitched yell and Mammon flinched and held his hands over his ears.

"What the f...?" My father said and looked at my mother in a confused manner.

My mother shrugged and imitated the screech again.

Mammon fell to his knees and covered his ears, a little more dramatically than he should have.

My mother took a deep breath and imitated the screech again and held it longer.

We all covered our ears as the screech reverberated around the room. It wasn't a regular yell; it had power behind it, a force.

Mammon knelt and cried out then sat upright as blood ran from his eyes, ears and nose.

I moved and kicked Mammon but my foot fell right through him. Zeke's body stayed where it was but something else fell out of him. Zeke then gasped loudly and fell to the floor unconscious.

A red and frightening figure lay behind Zeke. He coughed out something that looked a lot like black blood then snorted loudly and looked at me.

The creature stood at about 6'2" and had a narrow horse like face. His teeth were black and yellow and razor sharp. His ears were pointed and close to his face. Each of his six fingers had long fingernail that looked more like claws than anything else. A snake like tail playfully waved behind him.

I gasped when I saw his face. It was torn and disturbing and the eyes we're replaced with purple flames. There was something wrong with him, other than the red skin and fire eyes and snake tail. Something about him made me cringe and want to run away. It was like looking into something that was familiar but you knew it was wrong somehow, like seeing a circle with straight lines or watching a dog run backwards. I didn't like looking at him; it scared the crap out of me.

"Mammon..." I said and looked at him as he stood up. Everyone else in the room gasped loudly and moved back

Mammon smiled his best intimidating smile at me. I instinctively moved and punched him. He flinched but it didn't affect him. I continued trying to punch and kick him but nothing seemed to have any obvious effect.

Mammon span around quickly and struck me with his tail. I took the hit but didn't fall. I grabbed his tail and he quickly pulled it back. The scale of the tail tore and cut into my clawed hands.

I held my hands in front of me as they healed then moved to attack him but stopped when Iris jumped up and held onto him.

Mammon yelled and swung around violently. I ran forward and grabbed Mammon's hand and forced him into the ground and held him there.

Iris pulled out a case then examined two complex looking syringes then shrugged and pressed a small blue button. A pointed tip extruded from the bottom for the slender tube that made up the syringe and dripped a purple and white liquid.

She handed me the needle and pulled out the second one and pushed the button.

Mammon struggled and whipped Iris with his tail once. Iris grunted and stabbed the needle in the back of Mammon's neck as hard as she could. Mammon cried out as Iris pushed the button again which made the needle hiss and inject the rest of the liquid into Mammon.

Mammon grunted and threw Iris from on top of him. I punched him and stabbed the needle on his back then pushed the button which injected the liquid into him.

Mammon slapped me as hard as he could. I fell to the ground and stated at him as he stood up and waved slightly.

"What...the fuck...did you put in me?" Mammon asked in a dark voice. His slender lips never moved. It was as if he was speaking into our minds.

"It's an extract that will suppress your power!" Iris said and dodged to the left as Sam and Manuel jumped forward and tackled Mammon against the stone wall.

Mammon smashed against the stone and choked up blood as the brothers moved back and punched him in the head.

Mammon pushed them both away with supernatural efficiency and fought to stand upright. He sprouted large red wings from his back and flew towards Sam and Manuel for a second before his left wing gave out and he hit the floor and rolled. He crashed into Manuel who didn't dive out of the way fast enough.

Manuel quickly shifted back to his cat form and bit and scratched the red skin.

Manuel's attacks were not having any visible effect at first but scratch and bite marks slowly appeared. Mammon was losing whatever defense he had been using.

Iris shook the needle once and ran to help Manuel but stopped when Mammon growled loudly and swung his tail to hit Manuel when Sam appeared and swing a pink and white sword, which had the initials SAU written on the hilt, and cut off most of Mammon's tail, leaving only a stump in its place.

The tail squirmed and shook on the floor and Sam slashed it several times.

Sam sighed heavily and looked at the sword.

"Thanks, Scarlett. Quick thinking too." He said and looked at the sword that now stretched and shifted until it became the girl named Scarlett again.

"Any time, good looking." She replied and stroked the goatee on his chin slightly.

Mammon didn't notice at first then cried out as the pain finally hit him. Mammon quickly mule kicked Iris back and rolled over then threw Manuel off. I moved to hit him and he kicked me in the mid section. Sam moved to help and Mammon threw the nearest follower at him. The female follower yelled as she flew through the air, supernaturally fast, and barely missed Sam. The woman kept flying and the other followers ducked and jumped out of the way of the woman. She hit the wall with a large thud. Several sounds of broken bones and a splash of blood later and the woman lay dead on the floor.

Mammon moved closer then knelt painfully. He looked back and saw one of the Oblivion twins standing behind him. Poe Oblivion held a large piece of wood, which he had used to hit the back of Mammon's knee, in both his hands. He swung it again but hit Mammon in the back who grunted and moved to hit Poe but fell forward when his twin brother jumped out from behind Poe and kicked Mammon in the head.

Mammon growled and hissed loudly at the twins who hesitated. He then took the wood from them and swing at them.

My mother yelled again and Mammon flinched and stopped in mid swing. She yelled louder and Mammon dropped the wooden piece and covered his ears. I moved forward and he looked up at me. I punched him as hard as I could and he fell back and looked at me as black blood dripped from his nose and mouth. We all kicked and punched him several more times and my mother continued yelling until she started coughing.

Mammon lay on the floor bleeding and holding himself. His skin now had more of a purple texture. The flames in his eyes were now dim and dull as it was clear that he was losing his power.

"Kill them all and get this over with." Mammon grunted out.

Every one of his followers flinched then one by one began to run towards us and we all prepared ourselves. I stopped and signaled for the others to do the same as the first of the followers came closer.

Gunshots were heard and several followers in the back fell or flinched. Nobody moved for a second then turned around, away from us.

"Hurry! We needs to protect them. Samson, go left! Wilson take yours right! Courir, courir, courir !" A familiar voice yelled in the back.

"What the hell does that mean?" A man said.

"The fuck do I know, just assume that it means 'go' or some shit..."

Several of the followers scattered and moved back while others knelt and put their hands behind their heads as I saw a few men and women in police uniforms move closer.

More police officers moved in and subdued the people who gave up and shot at anyone who felt like attacking. Most of the shot followers simply got their foot or hand shot but three very aggressive fools receive a bullet in the head.

It took a few minutes but the five dozen police officers had either hand cuffed or shot the remaining followers.

I turned and saw that Mammon was still on the floor as he spat out blood and held himself and waved the stump that was once his tail.

The rest of the police officers looked at us and pointed their guns. One of the officers flinched a female officer patted him in the back and pulled the trigger. We all cried out at the gunshot then at Edward who appeared and cut the bullet in half so both pieces missed us. I heard Rachael cry at as she was now forced to cover herself with her hands as Edward had torn Malorie off her and changed her into the sword again.

My uncle looked her up and down then jerked forward slightly when my aunt slapped him upside the head. Aunt Lilian wrestled my uncle from his shirt and threw it at the naked young lady.

"Zut alors, Kane!" A man said. "You're suspended for a week! Who gave zis fool a gun?"

"You did chief." A female police officer replied.

"Silence !" The man said.

The police officers moved to let a single man through. The older man stopped in front of us and smiled. He held his hands in his pickets as he looked both friendly but intimidating at the same time.

I smiled and started to say something when Kassie cut me off by running towards the man. She jumped at him and hugged him tightly, while yelling the word "Daddy!"

"Chief I'm sorry; I didn't know that you knew these people." The man who shot the gun said.

"Mon dieu, I told you in the briefing, Kane. This is my daughter and those are my sons and that's my future son-in-law and his family."

Mammon sprung up and moved to attack Mr. Josèphe, Kassie's father.

My mother tried yelling again but ended up coughing loudly instead. I let the silver energy manifest appear around me and I ran to stand between Mammon and Mr. Josèphe.

"Stop!" I yelled out and Mammon gasped then fell to the floor while holding his hands to his ears again.

I stared as Mammon rolled around in the floor again.

"Like mother, like son." Umbra said in my head. "Your mother never knew that she was a Dark one like you or your father. She has the ability to make other Darkstalkers obey her and fear her. You are her son so you have inherited that ability too."

I looked at my mother who stared back at me. I smiled and fell on all fours and howled loudly. Several of the followers cringed and cried out as my howl filled the room. Poe and Jimmy huddled together and covered each other's ears while Iris covered her ears. All the wolf members of my family, including Jeff and Manuel after he shifted back into his werewolf form, instinctively fell on all fours and howled along with me. Mammon cried out painfully then shot up and jumped at me. Several of the police officers opened fire and Mammon jerked left and right as bullet holes filled his unnatural skin. Mammon fell to the floor and groaned.

"You... Bastards shouldn't be able to defeat me... I...am...Mammon...Prince of the pit...who are you?" Mammon let out.

"You don't even know my name?" I said and couldn't help but think of the irony. "My name...Is Michael Jeffrey Talbain...and you don't mess with my friends and family, asshole."

Mammon lifted his hand to claw me and I lifted my leg to dodge his claw then heard Umbra giggled

"I'll help!" She said in a fading voice.

The fur around my body thickened until it was about four times as thick as my regular fur. The silver energy manifested around me again and I felt my muscles expand as time slowed down around me. I smiled and saw Mammon's expression change to a fearful one as I stomp on his head as hard as I could. My foot broke through his head and his entire body exploded into ash. My foot burned slightly but the feeling passed.

I turned to look at Zeke then looked towards the door as I heard Luna and Leon ran into the room but stopped when the police quickly trained their guns on them.

"They're okay." I said and dusted my foot. My fur retracted into my body as the silver energy diminished then finally vanished.

"Thank you, Michael." Luna said and grabbed Leon's hand and pulled him closer to me.

"Leon, I had forgotten about you." I said and moved over to stand by Zeke. I moved his body to the side of the wall.

"I was put into a deep sleep but I woke up a few minutes ago." Leon yawned.

"I found him walking the corridors, confused." I looked back and saw my father and Iris standing by my mother who continued to cough loudly.

"So what now?" Leon asked and stared at Zeke who snored lightly.

"Now we wake him and hope that he's okay." I said.

I knelt down and shook Zeke slightly. "Wake up fool!" Leon said and kicked him slightly.

I turned and looked at Leon and he shrugged and stood back. I then turned back around and shook Zeke lightly again but stopped when I heard some murmurs. A police officer ducked as Helena jumped at him. Senna and the female jaguar moved to join Helena and looked at all of us who looked back.

Whatever Mammon did to them was still having effect. I moved close and stopped then stared at them. They all growled at me in their different ways. Aye and Edward appeared behind them and quickly threw a collar on them, which snapped into place by themselves, and then tied the other end to a pipe in the end of the room.

The girls turned around but Edward and Aye had already high five'd each other and disappeared.

A police officer moved closer and pointed his gun at Helena's head.

My father had ran out of nowhere and tackled the officer to the ground.

The officer struggled and my father barked loudly at him then snarled.

The police officer dropped the gun and stared back as he wet himself in horror.

Mr. Josèphe moved closer and placed a hand on my father's arm. My father stopped snarling and looked at him.

"Nobody is to shoot these girls..." Mr. Josèphe said. "It isn't their fault. Kane you just bought yourself another week's suspension."

"Shit, man." The police officer that was underneath my father let out then apologized when his chief stared at him.

"So what are we gonna do?" I asked as I walked closer and my father and I stared at Helena, Senna and the jaguar girl.

"I can hand them over to the pound and find them a suitable home." Mr. Josèphe said and my father glared at him.

"La sauvage est sœur de Michael ..." Kassie informed her father.

Mr. Josèphe gasped and stared at my father. "I am sorry, Mr. Talbain, I has no idea. I meant no disrespect."

"It's okay. But...it seems that I have a new pet instead of a daughter..." My father said sadly.

"I got this." Iris said and ostentatiously pulled out a bottle then sprayed it at Helena's face. The spray bottle sprayed a pink and blue liquid that made Helena stop then smile.

"Oops..." Iris said.

"What?" My father asked.

"I sprayed the wrong thing." Iris said and examined the bottle labeled "16-4/7Q116 (Love Scent (Beta))."

Helena extended her law and took hold of Iris and pulled her close. Iris yelled and tried crawling away.

My father and I flinched then moved to help but stopped and stared when Helene's animal instincts took over and mounted Iris and started humping her.

We couldn't help but laugh as Helena continued and Iris was too humiliated and shocked to do anything by cry out.

Jeff and Sam came over to see what was happening and stopped to examine what was happening.

Iris yelled out for us to help her and we all stared.

"Go Helena, go!" Sam yelled encourage.

Five minutes passed and Iris had crawled away from Helena who had tired herself out and fell asleep.

Iris threw another bottle that read "11-B" to me and stomped out of the room half embarrassed and half angry.

The police officer named Kane began to make humping gestures and Iris kneed him in the crotch and scratched through his shirt and bullet proof vest and lightly tore at his chest then pushed him towards the wall. She glared at the other police officers and they all moved aside, some actually protected their male regions. Iris walked out and nobody said anything.

"It looks like you're going to need those two weeks anyway, Kane." Mr. Josèphe said as the officer held his bleeding chest with one hand and his boys with the other.

"She's mad..." Jeff said.

"Yeah... Good thing I recorded it. Manuel said and pulled out his phone then hit the play button. We all laughed as we stared into the phone that now played it back in slow motion.

I sprayed the three girls with the liquid. Helena didn't shift as she was asleep but the other girls passed out almost immediately.

"I wonder what this is..." I said and jumped when Edward appeared next to me.

"That's extract from 11-B... Dr. Monroe and Aeissa created it from the 11-B Lilium. It's supposed to bring back their surprised memories."

"...and that helps how?" Aunt Lilian asked.

"Mammon repressed all their human memories and only left the basic animal instincts, that's why they act the way they act."

We all stopped as Zeke mumbled in his sleep.

I walked over and Leon shadowed me. We both knelt next to Zeke and I shook him slightly.

"Zeke... Zeke, wake up Zeke!" I said and smiled as he slowly opened his eyes.


	13. Chapter 13: Epilogue

_Chapter 13_: **Epilogue**

"It isn't fair..." A voice said. The sound was like nails on a chock board.

"What?" I asked, stupidly. It was the only thing I could say as I lay on, what my mind perceived as the floor, in this vast darkness. I turned my head to try and see something, someone, anything, but all I could see was the intense darkness that made up everything for as far as I could see.

"It isn't fair…" The voice repeated.

I stood up and looked around until I saw a single figure curled up on the floor as it muttered to itself. I swallowed hard and walked closer, partly because I wanted to see the figure and partly because there wasn't anywhere else to go.

My heart raced as I grew closer to the red figure, its features became clear as I got closer: Cracks covered his red skin; bones and meat were visible from some of the cracks in his backs. The sight of that made my skin crawl and I had to hold my breath so I wouldn't throw up at a three large worms that slithered past some of the larger cracks. He had a large snake like tail that tended to move this way and that. His hands were claws, with his right pinky missing.

"Who...who are you?" I asked.

"It's not fair..." It repeated and slowly stood up then turned to look at me.

I gasped when I saw the last of the purple flames, which made up its eyes, diminish. I froze as he started to say something but stopped as he exploded into flames. I stepped back quickly but there was no escaping the fierce flame that slowly ate at the creature's body.

The last of the flames went out and the dark emptiness returned.

"Well that was fun." I muttered then sighed.

I walked around and called for anyone but never got a response.

"Where the hell am I?" I asked to nobody in particular.

I felt something run passed me but I wasn't able to see anything when I turned around. Something else scurried passed my feet and I jumped and made a high pitch sound that made me glad that there wasn't anyone with me. I still wasn't able to see anything and the sounds stopped soon enough so I, reluctantly, continued walking.

"Zeke! Zeke, wake up!" I heard, the voice echoing in the vast darkness.

"Hello?" I yelled and waited for a few seconds but there wasn't anyone to respond.

A bright light burst on in the distance and it quickly moved to surround the darkness that made up the large void around me. I grunted and moved to shade my eyes with my hands.

My vision slowly adjusted to the sudden brightness and I was able to look around at the room I was in. I instinctively blinked a few times and I noticed a flight of stairs to the side, which meant that I must be in a basement. There were three long tables with long red cloths that covered their surface, and on top of that, there were several plants with several handwritten labels.

I looked around and noticed Ai, the girl from my dreams, sitting in the floor with her legs crossed and her eyes closed.

"Hey…" I said, almost at once, but she didn't answer or move or gave any indication that she had heard me. "Ai! Hey, what's going on?"

I moved forward and stepped on a plant that was on the floor. The vase should have broken but it didn't, it held its shape. I blinked a few times but the flower was still there, so I picked it up and examined the green and red flower pedals. The leaves on in did not move in anyway even after I tried forcing them to, it was as if they were made out of weightless stone. It had a handwritten not that said "Smell Me" so I shrugged and followed its instructions.

"Don't touch the flowers." A woman said and slapped my hand.

The flower dropped from my hand and into the table as I turned to see Ai standing there. Not the woman that was still sitting on the floor with her legs crossed but a younger version of her, the one in my dream. This Ai looked to be a year younger than I was and wore some torn jeans and a t-shirt that read the legend: Plant a fucking tree already!

She moved and examined her meditating body and pushed her large bangs from her face and behind her ears then turned to look at me.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"I'll be the one asking the questions!" She snapped.

"What?" I asked.

"Sorry...I've always wanted to say that." The young Ai said. "You're probably wondering where you are."

"That would be what I just asked." I replied.

"You're in your subconscious. This is where all your thoughts and actions happen but you've been asleep for months so all you probably see is darkness." Ai said and sat down on a chair that wasn't there before.

"I'm in my subconscious?" I repeated and looked around. "Why does it look like a plant filled basement?"

"That's because I chose to manifest in your subconscious while I'm in my basement, you dumbass!" Ai cried out.

"Feel free to yell at me, it really is helping." I said sarcastically as I crossed my arms. "Why are you here?"

"Because somebody has to." Ai replied then sighed and stood up. "It was my fault that all this happened to you and your friends..."

"Hmm..." I said "Well at least it's-"

"Can you shut the hell up? I'm trying to apologize!" Ai said and glared at me. "Like I was saying...I thought that you were the being that was going to finally tell us what we actually were and help us co-exist with the humans but I messed up and summon that red skinned freak named Mammon."

"That red thing was Mammon?" I asked then stopped and stared. "Wait...who's Mammon?"

Ai raised an eye brow and looked at me as if she wanted to kick my ass for asking such a stupid question but she decided against it and simply explained.

"Mammon is the name given to the prince of the pit. Religious people might think of his as the devil's son." Ai said. "Although, I really doubt that it was him."

"I had the devil's son inside of me?" I let out; my voice must have sounded horrified as Ai didn't get mad at me for ignoring what she just said.

"Apparently..." Ai said. "Either that or he manifested inside of you somehow. Either way, he's gone now and that means that you're you again."

"How long was he manifested inside of me? How long did he take over?" I said. "The last thing I remember is blacking out in the shower and then waking up here."

"Hmm... Not sure really. I accidentally released the demon, inside of you, six months ago." Ai said. "He isn't of this world so he needed time to adjust. He would have gotten strong enough to be able to kill someone with a gesture or maybe even a look. I'm pretty sure that he would have killed you at some point, if only to prove that he didn't need you anymore. He would have the power to enslave us all and make us do what he wanted but your friends stopped him."

"My friends?" I asked and smiled as the thought of Helena's family risking their lives to save mine.

"Zeke! Zeke wake up!" I heard a voice say. It sounded like Michael.

"Too bad that you're practically dead." Ai said unemotionally.

"What? I'm dead?" I asked.

"Practically..." Ai repeated and stood up.

"Well isn't that a bitch." I said.

"Quite. Smell this." Ai said and picked an orange and purple flower.

I flinched then smelled it for a few seconds.

"Come see me one day. We might be able to help each other." Ai said and vanished, the room soon followed as I felt a pulling sensation.

"Zeke! Zeke, wake the fuck up, Zeke!"

I gasped loudly and awoke on the floor.

"What?" I asked in the kind of confusion that never turned out to be good.

I opened my eyes and saw Michael and Leon standing over me.

Michael was in his werewolf form: his tanned fur was covered in blood. He smiled and looked around before focusing at me again. "Rise and shine." He grinned and I was slightly intimidated by the row of teeth in his werewolf muzzle.

Leon's shirt was torn and covered in blood. His exposed chest showed several scratches and cuts. They both looked terrible.

I looked around, we were on the inside of a building; a small stack of wood was on fire a few feet away. I noticed Helena, Senna and a female Dee that looked like a jaguar. They were all unconscious as they lay on the floor with a leash attached to a collar around each of their necks.

The leashes and collars shifted suddenly then snapped open and fell to the floor. The leashes and collars merged together until a girl stood where they lay. She stretched then smiled as a man moved closer.

I saw Iris, Michael's cousin, walk into the room and stand next to Michael. She was in her cat form but you could still see that she had been crying. Her face was red and her claws filled with, what looked like, blood.

"Don't you say anything, Michael!" Iris said then noticed me. Her calico cat ears perked up in anger. She pointed at me with rage in her eyes. "This is your fault!" She yelled and moved closer.

Michel stood up quickly and held her back. "Iris! Calm down. It wasn't his fault, he was being controlled remember? It was that thing I killed, plus why are you mad at Helena for? She was only doing what her instincts told her to after you sprayed her with that thing."

Iris stopped and shoved Michael who fell over then stood back up.

"Do you have any idea how humiliating that was? And you guys just stared and laughed." Iris started crying as some glass shattered in the distance.

"I know... I'm sorry. That won't happen again." Michael said and hugged his cousin who hugged him back.

"What did I do? What happened?" I muttered as my entire body ached.

"Dude, you fucked up big time..." Leon said as he motioned behind me.

I turned and I saw several Darkstalkers, in several different forms, standing up against the wall. Some were handcuffed while others had a police officer working on subduing them.

A girl tripped an officer and extended some large bird wings and began to fly upwards. A female husky Darkstalker came running on all fours then jumped up and grabbed the girl by her leg and pulled her down. The husky girl head-butted the bird girl and held her down until an older officer came and used his teaser on the girl. The bird girl shook for a second then lay still.

"Merci, ma cherrie." The man said.

"De rien, papa." The girl replied and got off the bird girl and kicked her midsection once, on bare principles.

"Wow." Michael said and walked up to the girl who kissed him shyly.

"Yeah, she's really hard headed." A male husky Darkstalker with brown and white fur said when he came closer.

"What happened?" I asked.

"It's a long story..." Leon said as he helped me up. "It all started six months ago when you disappeared for a night. A dude named Mammon took you over and was like bam! Imma make the world my bitch and stuff."

"You suck at explaining things." I said and limped closer to Helena who was lying on the floor.

"What happened to her?" I asked.

Michael walked over and placed a clawed hand on my shoulder. I flinched as the touch hurt more than it should have. My entire body was sore and my head pounded heavily.

"You...Mammon literally turned her into nothing more than a guard dog." Michael said as he stared at his sister's body. "I mean, that's not such a bad idea as she could be mean as all hell but I wouldn't want to be the one picking up the droppings."

I grinned. "Yeah I wouldn't either..." I said as we both jumped when Helena shifted slightly.

"Michael?" Helena asked and slowly stood up on her hand and knees. She opened her eyes and jumped back when she saw me. "Oh God! No! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She cried out and bowed as low as she could without actually kissing the floor.

"Helena, it's okay!" I said and moved my hand to stroke her face but she flinched away from me in fright. She looked like she expected me to hit her. "Helena, it's me! It's Zeke, remember?"

Helena stopped shaking and looked at Michael then at me.

"Tell me something that only Zeke would know." She said.

"You have a mole in your right ass cheek." I said then flinched when Michael glared at me.

"I don't believe you- oh God no I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Please don't hurt me!" Helena said and cowered on the floor. It was clear that Mammon abused her and did who knows what while he wore my face.

"Okay, how about this? You only drink orange juice when you are the one to open it, and even then you only drink the first glass." I said. I always thought that was weird but it seemed to work as she stared at me hopefully.

"She does that with you too?" Michael asked.

"She also has to take a shower, at exactly 9am." I laughed out.

"Or go to sleep at looking west." Manuel suggested.

"Yeah! She also doesn't wear the same clothing twice in one week.

"Okay! Shut up! You are Zeke!" She said and jumped forward, knocking me and Michael down. She started licking our faces instinctively then stopped and kissed me.

"I'm sorry, Helen... I never meant to hurt you." I said smiling.

"Don't call me Helen, that's an old woman's name." Helena said and hugged me tightly. "I have this primal urge to call you master..."

"This isn't the bedroom." Michael said and stood up then slapped his sister in the ass. "Mom and dad have been worried.

I smiled and let her go. Helena ran off and jumped at her father who had been staring at her for a few minutes now.

"I guessed about the mole thing." I lied.

"No you didn't. I'm not against anything that you guys do but I just don't want to know about it." Michael said and punched me in the arm slightly then walked off. I would have punched him back but he was a werewolf and my girlfriend's brother.

Leon walked up and shoved me. "What the hell happened to you anyway?" He asked.

"I don't know...I don't remember anything that happened." I replied.

I didn't remember anything. It was as if somebody had simply taken a few months from my life away from me. The last thing I remember is helping Michael with his car and him talking to a ginger girl in a car, a Bella Ross. I then went in to take a shower and I heard a voice then passed out then awoke a few minutes ago. I said as much to Leon.

"That's ginger girl right there." Leon said and pointed at the female that was busy helping an older police man, two brown huskies, and a squad of police officers, place hand cuffs on anyone who wasn't part of Helena's family.

"That's Bella Ross? I didn't know that she's a Dee..." I said.

"She is, but call her Kassandra Josèphe. Bella Ross was just a pen name or a username or some shit..." Leon said. "Hands off though, bitch has a master by the name of Michael."

I looked at Michael who walked towards his parents but stopped next to a male werewolf that was covered in pitch black fur.

I didn't recognize the werewolf even though I was there during Michael's birthday party and met his family but I didn't remember the werewolf.

I moved closer to listen to what they were saying.

"...well yeah, but whatever... So how do you change back?" The black werewolf asked him. He stood on his hind legs and swayed back and forth.

"That's actually more complicated than it should be." Michael started. "You have to reject your werewolf part and remember how it feels to be human."

"So... What?" The werewolf asked.

"Just forget that you're a werewolf and remember that you're human. That's the simplest way I could explain it." Michael said.

The black werewolf frowned and thought for a minute then announced that he's probably stuck that was since he wasn't able to think of anything. Michael's aunt came over and kissed the black werewolf who smiled and kissed her back.

The black werewolf's fur started shrinking back into his skin as the muzzle merged into his face. It took a few seconds but Michael's uncle stood where the black werewolf was.

"He's one of us now." Michael said. I didn't even notice him looking at me.

"Cool!" I replied.

-0-

We all returned to the Talbain residence a few hours later. It was crowded with people, most of which were some sort of half animals.

I lay on the couch and rested my head on Helena's lap. She smiled at me while wearing a light blue blouse and knee long skirt. She played with my hair as we sat in silence and watched the two white tiger twins play a fighting game against the brown husky twins.

Helena informed me on what happened during the time that the demon of the pit had me under his control. She said that the demon used her, her cousin and a female jaguar Darkstalker as guards. I apologized and she said that I shouldn't be sorry. She also told me that the demon took advantage of her a few times. I couldn't help but smile at that thought.

"Did you like it?" I asked playfully.

"What? Being tied down and used as he needed?" She replied.

"Well it's giving me ideas." I replied and she pushed my head slightly.

An older man, around 40something walked up and stood by Helena.

"Hey Mr. J'ariso. How can I help you?" Helena asked cheerfully?

"Hello, Helena. I ran those tests that you wanted me to. Can I...talk to you for a second?" The doctor asked her.

Jonathan, Michael's father, had called the family doctor/vet over to examine them all to make sure that they were all okay.

"Sure, be right back, Zeke." Helena said and walked off with the doctor.

The doctor's name was Mark J'ariso. He worked with his father in a vet's office. Both the father and son were good friends of the family, so they didn't mind coming over.

"So what's your story, friend?" One of the brown huskies asked me while he mashed the buttons in his control.

"Who me?" I asked.

"Yeah." He asked. "You're the only guy, that I know, that is doing my sister's boyfriend's sister."

"I'm just the neighbor." I replied.

"...and the guy who's hitting that werewolf booty." The other husky added.

"Zeke, why are you hitting Helena? Is she doing something that she shouldn't? Like playing with your toys?" One of the white tiger twins asked.

"No, I'm not hitting her." I said and patted him in the head.

"No, but he likes it when Helena plays with his toy." Michael said as he walked closer and leaned on the couch. He was in his human form again, he wore a shirt that read "Night Springs" and had a guy with a handgun in one hand and a flashlight on the other.

"I hate it when my sisters play with my toys." The other white tiger twin said.

Both husky twins snickered for a moment. "How often do Desiree and Joanna play with your...TOYS, Poe?" Michael asked as he amused himself.

"Very often! Especially Desiree." The first white tiger twin said. "I sometimes yell at her to stop but she won't. She just keeps on going and going until she gets tired. Sometimes she plays with both mine and Jimmy's toys at the same time."

Both the husky twins dropped their controls and busted into laughter, one of which actually began to roll on the ground. The white tiger twins stared in confusion as they were too young to understand our carnal sense of humor.

"Can I talk to you?" Michael said and signaled for me to walk outside with him.

"Sure." I said and stood up. I turned in time to see Iris hand a coffee mug to one of the brown husky twins.

Michael closed the door then turned to look at me.

"What's up, Michael?" I asked.

"I wanted to talk to you. I know that we really don't know each other so I wanted to talk to you." Michael said and leaned on a wall.

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"First, let me say that my sister is happy with you. Second I want to let you know that regardless with what happened I still want us to be cool. I have no idea what Mammon did to Helena or Senna or to Charisse... But the effects seem to be diminishing."

"Who's Charisse?" I asked.

"The female jaguar." She is from Australia; Mammon kidnapped her when he appeared there looking for followers." Michael replied.

"I really fucked up didn't I?" I asked.

"It wasn't you. It was that thing inside of you." Michael said and I was grateful that he didn't follow that up with a gay joke.

"What's gonna happen to her?" I asked.

"Charisse? She called her parents and is flying home with some of the Nanandrophy group."

"Good. I really didn't mean to hurt you guys."

"I know. You asked me to kill you, do you remember that?"

"No... It sounds like me though..."

The door opened and Helena quickly popped her head out to see what was going on.

"Oh... You're talking... I was expecting to see heads rolling and blood flowing." She said smiling.

"Hmm... This is when I wish I had a brother." Michael said and shoved Helena back in.

I walked in and closed the door behind me. I saw the older police officer talking to Michael's uncle.

"Technically... You're no longer a suspect so I don't have the pleasure of arresting you today, Mr. Gonzales." The man said in a French accent.

"Good, because I don't think that you guys need another Mexican in jail." Mr. Gonzales laughed out.

"I'm headed home, I'm sure that the Mrs. is wondering why I haven't checked in. Fabian, 'Enry, Kassandra let's go."

"Un second papa, s'il vous plaît." One of the brown huskies said as he held his hand out while Iris was busy writing her number in it.

"Papa, can I spend the night?" Kassandra said and smiled hopefully.

"Zut alors... D'accord. If that's okay with you Mr. Talbain." The police officer said.

"Sure. We can make room for her." Mr. Talbain said.

"Thank you. Goodnight everyone." The police officer said and waved goodbye as he pushed his sons out of the room.

"Zeke..." My mother started. I turned to look at her. She came over to see if I was okay, her memories were still gone but Iris sprayed her with something and she was actually saddened because she had forgotten. "We're headed home, you could stay if you want."

"Um...okay." I said and saw Helena quickly fist pumped.

"Goodnight, Zeke. See you tomorrow, hope you don't mind Charisse staying in your bed tonight." My father said.

"It's alright; I could sleep in your couch, no problem." Charisse said in a heavy Australian accent. She wore a Helena's knee length skirt and shirt that had a picture of a cartoon zombie with the word "Brains..." in a white speech bubble.

"You can have my bed tonight, Charisse. It's the least that I could do." I said. "Just don't touch anything under the bed."

"Yes, we will talk about what's under the bed later, Zeke." My mother said and cocked a hip.

"Busted!" Luna announced and kissed my cheek and said goodnight to everyone.

-0-

Two hours passed and most of the family went to their homes. Edward and Malorie had paid a visit to see how everyone was doing then left quickly.

The only people in the house were Me, Helena, Michael and Kassandra. Jonathan and Christine Talbain sat in the kitchen table as they talked to Jeffrey and Lilian Gonzales.

"So now I'm the only member of the family that doesn't have any power?" Christine asked.

"You got that shoutey-yelley thing." Jeffrey suggested.

"Great, I can nag people to death." Christine replied.

"You already do." Jonathan said and laughed as his wife lightly slapped him in the arm.

"Well it's a cool power, Christine." Lilian said.

"Yeah I just wish that I knew about it sooner." Christine said.

Jonathan wrapped an arm around his wife and kissed her. "Birds know how to fly when the time comes." He said and motioning with a hand.

"What?" Christine asked.

"I heard that somewhere." Jonathan replied.

"Fool, you read that in that fortune cookie last week!" Jeffrey laughed out.

"No...oh yeah..." Jonathan replied and everyone shared a laugh.

I turned and looked at Helena who stared at nothing in particular. She stared at the blank TV for a few seconds; it was as if she was in deep thought.

"You okay?" I asked.

She quickly blinked twice then looked at me. "Yeah, I'm just thinking." She said and gave me a weak smile.

"Thinking about what?" I asked.

"Nothing!" She announced quickly and louder than she should have. Her parents and aunt and uncle turned to look.

Helena blushed slightly, which was very unlike her.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Helena sighed then stood up. "Can we talk?" She said as I rose to my feet.

"Sure." I said as she led me upstairs. I turned and saw her father stare at us.

I followed her upstairs as she led me to her room. But stopped when we listened to what Michael and Kassie where doing in their room.

"I am your master." Michael said from the other side of the door.

"You are my master and..." Kassie suggested in a sensual voice.

Helena and I smiled and looked at each other.

"I am your master and... You are my bitch." Michael added and I saw Helena's jaw drop slightly. "I had a dream about this"

"Really?" Kassie asked playfully. "How did it end?"

"Let's find out." Michael said and they grew quiet except for the slight sounds of kissing and undressing.

Helena pulled my arm and led me to her room, almost by force.

"So what's up?" I asked. "Are we going to play out one of my dreams too?"

"You have dreams about us, too?" Helena asked quickly as she stuck her hand in her underwear drawer.

"A couple..." I replied.

Helena quickly put something behind her back and stared at me.

I raised an eyebrow and stared at her. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Remember when we were talking a few months back...and you asked what I wanted in the future?" Helena asked shyly.

"Yeah...you said that you wanted a large family." I replied and my heart skipped a beat when I knew where she was going with this.

"Well..." She said and cocked a hip then pulled out a small white pregnancy test and smiled sheepishly.

I stared into the test in awe as it had a small but clear positive sign.

"Congratulations, daddy." Helena said giggling.

I froze for a second. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't sure if I was ready to be a father but I managed a smiled and looked at Helena who smiled back hopefully.

"I'm going to be a daddy?" I said.

Helena grinned and nodded quickly.

"I'm going to be a daddy!" I let out and hugged Helena.

"Oh hell no!" I heard Michael say from next door.

"Oops." I said as I heard Michael quickly stand up and walk to open his door.

"Yeah, you'd better go." Helena said as I climbed out the window.

-0-

"So when are we gonna get married?" Helena asked me.

Two and a half years had passed since then. I was behind the steering wheel as I followed the navy blue minivan in front of me. I still didn't remember any of what happened but I did have a hell of a lot of nightmares.

"Don't know." I replied and stuck my left hand in my jacket's pocket to make sure the small box was still in there.

"Michael and Kassandra are married. Hell, even Iris is engaged. So is Senna. Fucking Senna, Zeke! Everyone thought that she was a damn carpet eater... But she's getting married." Helena said and looked out the window.

"Yeah... They are." I replied and turned left after the minivan.

"I don't see what the big deal is. All you have to do is ask. I won't say no...I can't anymore..." Helena suggested.

"You can still say no." I replied and parked on the minivan's side.

"Where did that come from?" Helena asked as I put the car in park.

"We're here." I announced and got out of the car.

Helena sighed and stepped out of the passenger side door.

It was night now. We drove for about two hours on directions Kassandra had printed out from the Internet. I stared at the sign that read:

Erorala.  
>Population 724.<p>

Michael stepped out of the Minivan and walked to the other side. He opened the passenger side door and helped a pregnant Kassie out. She was about five months pregnant now and still looked good while pregnant, which is more than I could say about Helena. That's one thing I'll never say out loud.

The back door slid open and a little girl walked out.

She had long silver hair and a thin mane of white fur. She had a bow on her right wolf ear and on the tip of her tail. She looked around then saw me and ran into my arms.

"Daddy!" She said as I picked her up.

"Hi baby." I said and kissed her forehead. I dusted some cookie crumbs from the fur on her chest.

Terra was my only child. Helena and I agreed on no more children until we were married and we weren't yet. She had been nagging me to propose to her but I wanted for her to not expect it so I purposely ignored her whenever she mentioned it.

Two boys walked out and rubbed their eyes. Kassie bend down slightly and picked up one of the twin boys. Michael picked the other up and placed him over his shoulders. Both boys had gray and white husky ears coming out of their heads and long white tails with gray tips. Kyle and Steven were twins, they were both about three months younger than Terra.

Another car pulled up and parked next to mine. I smiled and waved at Jonathan and Christine Talbain as they smiled happily at me.

Jonathan walked out and I let Terra down as she wanted to hug grandpa.

Jonathan bent down and picked Terra up. Jonathan had turned into a werewolf and licked Terra's cheek playfully. Terra giggled and shifted playfully.

"Zeke, is it okay if I eat Terra, I'm hungry." Jonathan said playfully and pretended to bite Terra's hand.

"No!" Terra giggled.

"Alright, but she's 99 cents a pound." I replied.

"No! Don't eat me!" Terra laughed out as Jonathan made fake chewing noises while nibbling on my daughter's arm.

Christine stepped out and hugged Helena and me.

"Hi, mom." Helena said in the kind of tone that women use to communicate that there was something wrong to each other.

Michael and Kassie walked closer and Christine gasped when she saw them.

"Michael! Kassandra! I see that two kids weren't enough? How many kids do you guys plan on having?" Christine said playfully.

"Until something that resembles a werewolf popped out of this thing." Michael said and patted Kassie's baby bump. Kassie giggled and held Michael's hand.

Steven, one of Michael's twin sons, pulled on his father's pant leg intently. "Sorry that I'm not a werewolf, dad." He said.

"I'm playing, Steven, grandma knows that. You guys have some bad ass husky ears." Michael said and patted his head.

"So where is everyone?" Jonathan asked as he looked around for everyone else while holding Terra in his arms.

I shrugged and almost jumped out of my skin when an over sized bee landed on my head. Helena gasped then made an awed noise.

"Mister, mister!" The bee said. "Do you want to buy some chocolate? They're for my school and we're getting enough for a new computer."

The bee flew off my head and buzzed in front of me.

"Alright, just don't sting me. I think that it might hurt." I said and reached for my wallet.

"Mama says that I'm not allowed to sting anyone anymore. Ten dollars a box mister." The bee said and reached into a bag.

"Ten bucks? Fine, here you go." I said and handed over a ten dollar bill. The bee handed me a box of assorted chocolates then moved to the rest of the group.

"She is so cute!" Helena whispered in my ear happily.

"She is. Is this a Dee village or something?" I asked.

"Mom says it is." Helena replied and squeaked once.

"Hey you want to make 50 bucks?" Jonathan asked when a car pulled up.

"Sure." The bee said and closed her bag.

Jonathan whispered something quickly in her ear. She looked at the car and giggled then flew over a tree and out of sight.

"What are you going to do?" Christine asked.

Jonathan simply smiled back.

The car door opened and Jeff walked out in human form. He jumped out and tucked his shirt in. Lilian stepped out as Iris opened the back door. Fabian stepped out from the other side and stared at Jeffrey.

"I could let you borrow my belt, Mr. G. It'll probably work better." Fabian suggested.

"No, m'ijo, it'll be okay. I got this." Jeff said and adjusted his shirt.

Lilian move and hugged Jonathan and Christine then the rest of us. "Damn Kassie, the bakery is open for business isn't it?"

"Trying out a new recipe, this time." Kassie said playfully.

Lilian laughed. "What if it's triplets this time?"

"Then this bakery is going out of business."

A laugh was shared and I couldn't help but enjoy it.

I saw Jeffrey walk closer and trip on a rock then catch himself and kept walking.

"Holy crap Jeff, what's that?" Jonathan yelled as the bee came down and headed towards Jeff.

Jeff cried out and shielded his head and threw himself aside as the bee flew by. It came back around and Jeff took off running.

Jonathan laughed loudly the bee came around.

"Is that what you wanted, mister?" The bee asked in an exited voice.

"You got it kid, here's the money. Hey let me get another box." Jonathan said and chuckled.

The bee handed a box over then waved goodbye and made us promise to not tell her parents about any of that.

"That's messed up, Jonathan." Lilian said.

"Why? Because he's afraid of bees?" Jonathan asked and bit into a chocolate piece then spat it out as it was coconut.

"Well that and because he might run into a tree." Lilian replied.

Jeffrey was heard screaming from the opening of the nearest woods. "There's a giant bee! There's a giant bee! There's a-" He yelled out then stopped as what sounded like a man hitting a tree echoed.

Iris sighed and started walking towards the woods. "I'll get him. He gets lost in the garage; he's sure as hell going to get lost in there."

"I'll go with you." Fabian said and walked into the woods with her.

"You're such a jerk." Lilian said dryly.

"Yeah...want some candy?" Jonathan said and held out the chocolate box.

"Sure." She said and picked up a random piece and stuffed it into her mouth then coughed it out. "Ew why do they insist on always having coconut?"

"You kids are crazy." Christine said and took the chocolate from her daughter then stuck it into her mouth. "Coconut is good, right Jonathan?"

"That's right!" Jonathan said then shook his head and made a disgusted face when his wife looked away.

Jeffrey ran out of the woods and hid behind his wife as an older bee couple hovered out of the woods.

"Is he okay? He ran into a tree." The man asked.

"Yeah, he's fine." Lilian said and stepped aside. "He's just scared of anything with needles or stingers. No offense."

"None taken." The female said and smiled warmly.

"Have you seen a little bee girl around here? She's selling candy and stuff." The male said.

"Yeah she buzzed that way." I said and pointed higher into the cliff.

"Thank you." Said the male and hovered passed us and excused themselves along the way. They made sure to give Jeffrey plenty of room.

"Did you find Iris and Fabian?" Christine asked Jeffrey after he finally got some color back into his face.

"No... Did they go in there?" Jeff asked and dusted himself as Lilian removed a leaf from his hair.

"Yeah." Christine said.

"Should we tell them?" Christine asked.

"No, it's okay." Lilian said then took a step forward. "When you guys are done! Meet us on the top!" She yelled.

-0-

We reached the top about twenty minutes later. It was pitch black now with the exemption of several suspended women in uniform hovering overhead while holding lanterns. Some women had bird or insect wings while others floated or stood on glowing platforms.

A classical band played on the edge of the cliff, their music was light so it could be used more as background to not disturb the talking of the hundreds of different types of Darkstalkers that lived or visited.

Helena sat on the floor with Terra, Steven, Kyle and Rita, Senna's fiancé's daughter, as they tried identifying all the different types of Darkstalkers.

"There's a frog!" Rita gasped out.

"There are the bee people!" Terra said and Helena hushed her slightly so they wouldn't listen.

"Is that a penguin?" Steven asked.

"He looks like one." Helena said.

"There's a dinosaur!" Kyle, Michael's other son, said.

"I think that's a lizard." Helena replied and looked at me as if to say: See... I'm good with kids.

I put my hand in my pocket and touched the small box and smiled.

"Not yet, friend." Fabian said and patted my arm. He stood next to me and zipped his pants and adjusted his privates then sighed in relief.

"You guys are still coming over right?" I asked.

"Wouldn't miss it! Plus I got a hundred bucks that say that Iris cries." He replied.

"Against who?" I asked.

"Against Henry." Fabian said and looked passed me and wicked at Iris. He patted my arm once more and walked back to the others.

Half an hour passed and we all had arrived and found a seat.

Three German Sheppard brothers and their wives sat in a floating chunk of land in front of us. The brothers spoke in a German accent.

"There's some irony in that." Michael said as he wrapped his arm around Kassie.

"Yeah." I replied.

I moved to lie on Helena's lap. She kept glancing at me whenever I moved in any way. She's been hinting for me to ask her into marriage but she couldn't be more painfully obvious if she slapped me with a marriage license and held a gun to my head as she forced me to sign it.

"So what happens here? Why is everyone here? Is it an orgy or something?" Manuel asked as he looked around.

"There are ogres here? Where?" One of the 13 year old Oblivion twins asked.

"Not ogres, baby." Aye said. "He's talking about...never mind, you'll learn when you're older.

Lilian grabbed his son's cat ear and pulled it slightly. "Shut up and watch."

"Watch what?" Manuel asked as he soothed his ear with his cat paw.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked Helena.

"Yes." She replied and looked down at me but jumped as a series of fireworks blew up in the distended.

The people, I use that word very loosely, cheered and hollered loud enough to almost drown out the fireworks. A lion family roared in unison as the German Sheppard brothers began to howl. The wolf members of Helena's family joined in as everything quieted down and everyone made a series of impressed noises when a fire cracker illuminated the sky.

"Why do you want to get married so badly?" I asked.

"Because I want us to be official. I mean we're already at that stage, I would like to be your wife instead of your girlfriend." She replied.

"I see..." I replied and was about to actually ask her when Terra bounced happily on my stomach.

I laid her down and scratched her ear as she gasped once or twice at the illuminated night sky.

-0-

Thirty minutes passed and the fireworks died down. Most of the people were gone and we all just sat around and talked.

"I wonder who's living in our old home right now..." Lilian asked as she held Jeffrey's hand tightly around her.

"We actually gave the house to a couple by the name of Phall." Felicia said as she had Jon's hands around her. "The house was given to us by Richard's and Alexandria's parents when we first moved here. The Phall couple wrote us a letter three years after they moved in, saying that they had a son and daughter which they named after us."

"That is so cute!" Desiree squeaked.

"Dad did mention that, now that I think about it." Richard said as he let Aye re-button his dress shirt.

"I don't remember that." Alexandria protested.

"You were young and stupid. So you won't remember now that you're old and stupid." Richard said impishly.

"Ha! Ha!" Alexandria replied duly.

-0-

An hour passed and I drove back home. Helena sighed heavily once in a while as she stared through the window and into the various shops and houses that passed by.

I pulled into a gas station to fill up as I had planned. The rest of Helena's family drove by, some actually speeding up.

I paid the man inside and bought a bottle of chocolate milk and an adult anime magazine, just in case. Plus it had the Tifa Lockhart in a c-string bikini on the cover, who could say no to that... Plus I paid 40 dollars for the subscription, which I never received. I have no doubt that it was delivered correctly but a certain disappointed werewolf made sure to dispose to them in arsonist ways.

I picked up the chocolate milk and left the mart then walked over to the car and tried opening the door but stopped when it was locked.

"You're not getting in here until you propose!" Helena said. She looked like she meant it.

I smiled and stared at her. "You're not really doing this are you?"

"I'm serious! I'll sit here all night but I'm getting a proposal from you tonight." She replied.

"Come on, open the door." I said. "Terra wants her chocolate milk."

"No! Not until you propose." Helena said stubbornly.

"Now you do remember that I could do this..." I lifted a finger and the lock disengaged as the door slowly opened.

"God dammit..." Helena said and looked away as she pouted.

I smiled and handed the chocolate milk back to Terra who was sitting in the back as she hugged a blue teddy bear that Aye manifested for her.

It was a very long hour before we got home and Helena opened the door and slammed it loudly then started for the door. She didn't even notice that the other side of the street was covered with her family's cars.

"Mommy's mad...maybe you should just ask her, daddy." Terra started shyly but I hushed her.

"I know baby, but remember what I told you?" I asked. She nodded slightly. "Good girl."

Helena stood by the door and stomped her feet as she waited for me to open the door to our apartment.

I took my time, if only to show that I wasn't going to be hurried. I purposely fumbled with the keys and Helena sighed angrily and took them from me then opened the door while grumbling under her breath. She shot me a quick glare then threw the door open.

She marched in and tossed the keys to where they were supposed to be then stepped inside the dark apartment and headed towards the bedroom but smashed into something.

"For fuck sakes! Can you turn the fucking light on, or am I going to have to wait for that too?" She cried out.

I smiled and flipped the switch and saw Helena staring towards me then jumped when her entire family yelled surprise.

"What the- what's going on?" Helena asked while looking around in confusion.

She noticed a quickly placed banner that read "Congratulations!" She looked around as her brother and sister in law opened a bottle of none alcoholic campaign.

"Michael, what's going on? Why are you all here? Shouldn't you all be headed home?" She asked.

"Why are you asking me, Mrs. Itule? Ask your future husband." Michael replied and pointed at me.

Helena turned around and jumped when she saw me kneeling in front of her.

"Oh my God! You sneaky bastard!" She said and shoved me to one side. "Yes! YES!"

"Can I at least ask you first?" I asked as I got back onto my knee.

Helena gasped and held her hands to her mouth as her eyes glistened.

"So... Helena Talbain... I think I need you to tie my shoe." I said and she shoved me again as everyone laughed. "No for real... Helena Talbain. I've known you for years and even for a few months when you were a pet to an evil creature inside of me. But I would really...really like it if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife. I'm sorry that it took me so long but I was waiting for a perfect opportunity...and if you don't believe that then blame Terra."

"Huh?" Terra asked as she looked up with a mouth full of cake.

Helena chuckled and sniffed loudly and simply nodded her head quickly as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Yes...yes Ezekiel Itule, I'll marry you!" She practically yelled and threw herself around me.

"Hey, she knows my name." I said playfully as she chuckled by my ear. I looked and saw Iris start to cry with joy as Henry Josèphe handed a hundred dollar bill over to his brother.

She pulled back and I pulled out the ring from my inner pocket and placed it on her finger. Everyone clapped and whooped.

"She's your problem now Zeke!" Michael said and hugged both of us.

We all had some cake and wine after several handshakes and hugs. We played some music and stayed up to five Am, and I was grateful that my nearest neighbors were either out of town, deaf or too drunk to realize what we were doing.

-0-

"Where's your backpack? Here! I put ten dollars in your pocket. Now be good!" Helena cried out as she hurried Terra out of the door.

"I know, mommy, I know! Sheesh..." 5 year old Terra said as she ran towards the bus that was waiting for her. Helena stood by the door and stared as her daughter jumped into the school bus for the first time in her life. I leaned on the frame behind her and wrapped a hand around her shoulder. She took my hand in here and kissed tenderly as we both waved goodbye to Terra.

"She's getting so big, Zeke." Helena sighed and sniffed.

"Yeah she is." I said and stared at my watch.

"You're going to be late if you don't leave." She said and walked back in and finished packing my lunch.

"Hi dad!" A boy said as he walked down the stairs in his pj's.

"Caleb, what are you doing up, let's take you back to bed." I said and picked up my three year old son. Helena and I got married half a year after I proposed and we quickly got into making child number two and three.

"Kirah woke me up; I think that she's hungry." Caleb said.

"Alright, come on." I said and carried him upstairs.

He was back asleep when I placed him back into his bed. I smiled and turned and looked into the crib where 13 month old Kirah kicked and stared as she sucked on her pacifier. She smiled as the mockingbird started moving on its own, I wasn't causing it this time.

Helena wrapped her hands around me then handed me a lunch box that had a generic male anime character with a very large sword in the cover.

"You're going to be late." She reminded me.

I turned and kissed her. "I know. I'm just admiring our children. I'm so glad that you're with me."

"I'm glad you got around to asking." Helena replied and walked downstairs.

I turned and closed the door, as Caleb started sucking his thumb, then made my way downstairs and picked my keys up.

"Have a good day." She said cheerfully.

"You too! One for luck." I said and kissed her again and rubbed her stomach.

"Number four is on its way. We should talk names when you get back." Helena said.

"Yeah..." I replied and walked into my car, waved goodbye and drive off.

I passed Terra's bus and honked twice then smiled at my daughter and drove off.

A cop car pulled up behind me and flashed its lights on and off. I sighed and looked back and smiled.

I pulled my hand out the window and flipped the officer off. He laughed and drove next to me.

"Zeke!" Henry Josèphe said as he matched my speed. "BBQ tonight, everyone's coming! My house!"

"You got it!" I yelled and smiled as Henry sped up and turned the corner. Henry was one of the few members of, what was considered, the family that wasn't in a real relationship. He had gone through four girlfriends and none had worked out. I tried hooking him up with Luna but neither will be the first to admit that they like each other.

I thought about everything as I walked inside of my office. Some acoustic music played on the radio as I sat down.

I stared at my computer's screen screensaver that had the words "Zeke Itule, Nanadrophy" written in silver as it jumped back and forth on the screen.

My boss walked in and smiled at me.

"Hi Zeke!" She said.

"Hey, Emilia." I replied.

"What's up? How was your weekend?" She asked as she set her laptop down. "Are you and the Mrs still coming over for dinner next Friday?"

"Yeah of course, wouldn't miss it." I replied.

"Do you guys have a name for number four yet?" She asked as she leaned on the doorway.

"Not yet no, she wants to talk about it later." I replied.

"Damn Zeke! You guys need a hobby."

"We have one, it's called sex."

She laughed and walked into her office. "So is everything good with you two?"

"Yup... All is good." I said as I looked at a picture of Helena as she held a baby Caleb in one hand and tried combing Terra with the other. "All is good..."

The end.

* * *

><p>Thank you guys for reading! This might or might not be the last of the series, like I've mentioned but it might not be the last story I write. Please let me know if you would like to read more of The Talbain Tail series.<p>

Once again, thanks for reading.

-A_M


	14. Bonus Chapter: A Huskies Tail, chapter 1

Bonus Chapter 1: The Ginger.

"Michael, you are going to be late!" I yelled as Jacqui came back in through the door.

"I forgot my backpack. Bye mom!" She said while running out of the door with her My Little Pony backpack flinging back and forth as she put it on and headed back to the car to wait for Michael.

"Kassie, can you tie my tie?" Michael said as he walked down and untied the black and white tie.

"Très bien." I replied and walked over and straightened his tie.

"You still mad at me?" He asked.

I tied the tie a little tight before loosening it and tapping his cheek slightly.

"Qu'en pensez-tu ?" I said and stared at him then turned around and began to wash the dishes that the kids left.

Michael sighed before starting to walk out. "Later, Kassie."

"Hey wait." I said and turned around as I dried my hands on the hips of my sweat pants before walking up to Michael then kissed him and threw my arms around his neck. "Tonight, you're not sleeping early."

"Hell no I ain't." He said and pulled me to him. "We could go right here and now."

Jacqui honked twice and we both looked towards the door.

"If we had her home schooled, you wouldn't have to leave so early and you could have me bent over that table right now." I suggested.

"I- what?"

His expression was priceless as he stared back.

"I am not having the kids be home schooled." Michael replied with his tomato face..

"Yeah, yeah." I said and kissed him while moving his hands to grab my ass, he got even redder when he felt that I wasn't wearing anything underneath. "Later?"

He swallowed and stared at his horny wife. "Later."

"Good" I replied before shoving him slightly. "Go to work. I'll just hang round."

"Love you, Kassie." He said as he left.

"Love you, too."

He walked out and I sighed then turned and walked up the stairs to check on Delilah, our youngest daughter.

We, Michael and I, had four kids. Kyle Reece, Steven Eric, Jacqui Sofia, and Delilah Paige.

Kyle, Steven, and Jacqui were all in elementary school while Delilah wasn't even a year old yet.

I walked into the spare bedroom and smiled when I saw her kicking slightly in her sleep. I moved over and bent down to watch her as she changed expressions and even giggles while dreaming. Her brown and white wolf ears and tail hung lazily.

Oh yeah, my name is Kassandra Anna-Marie Talbain Josephè. I'm somewhere between 1 and 100 years old, I'm about 5'7" short, and I'm a husky fils de l'obscurité (child of the night or Darkstalker). My sons and oldest daughter are also husky fils while my youngest daughter is a werewolf like my husband, Michael. We agreed on having three kids, which we achieved in two tries as we had twin boys. We actually stopped trying but Delilah popped out three quarters of a year later so we're sticking with what we got.

I had gotten upset with Michael because he had been busy with work the last week and has headed to bed right after. I understand that he has a lot of work to do but I have needs too. And it annoyed me that I had to...handle...those needs by myself.

I guess that all women are like that.

My phone rang and I went out of Delilah's room and into the master bedroom where my cell phone was ringing. Michael's sister, Helena, was calling me.

"Hey, Helena. What's going on?" I asked as I held the phone with my tilted head and adjusted my hair.

"Hey, Kassie. Question: Did you and Michael meet on September the 8th or November the 8th?" She asked from the other end while she she set the dishwasher.

"September...wait... Damn, I can't remember..." I said and giggled.

"Ooh, you're the one who is supposed to remember. Bad girl."

I laughed. "It was September, I just remembered."

"Cool, thanks."

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason, later."

"Okay...bye."

She hung up and I stared at the phone.

"Weird..." I said and looked at the first picture that Michael and I took together:

It was a winter day. I was wearing the gray and pink hoodie, that he bought for me the week before. It was made to represent a pink and gray husky, with matching ears on the hood. It was the cutest thing you've ever seen. He wore a brown jacket that he still has. It was warm and big enough to heat both of us up. I would pretend to be cold some days so he would open his jacket up held me close. He calls those "girl tricks".

But to fully understand me, you need to be opened minded. Open minded and know my past.

I was born Kassandra Josèphe, youngest daughter to Jacques Josèphe and Amèlie Belatrix.

I was born in the United States but both my parents are of French descend. My brothers, adopted sister, and I grew up French. It isn't too different from a regular American family, other than food and traditions.

But this story is not about my origin. It's about how I met Michael and started this family.

-00-

"Faster, Kassie!"

"I'm...trying!"

"Fabian are you almost done?"

"Almost..."

"No, I want to get there first!"

"I always finish first!"

"You'd better slow down!"

"You know..." I began. "If we weren't on treadmills then people could take what we just said the wrong way..."

".78 miles Kassie." Andrea, my step sister, said.

She worked as the assistant manager in a local gym. It was only about a 15 minute walk from the house so she normally walked back and forth. Sometimes we came and got her when we were bored, like today. Normally when we did we had a little competition on the treadmills.

My older brothers (Fabian and Henry) and I were husky fils de l'obscurité which pretty much meant that we could transform into our animal forms. Not fully but we could transform until we look like a human shaped husky dog. Our human and animal senses merged but we were still in control.

The contest was normally who could reach a mile fastest while running on all fours. It was normally one of my brothers who won, Fabian most of the time, but I've won once and I was only .02 miles behind Fabian and .03 in front of Henry.

We had raised the stakes today, as Andrea has tied a leash around our necks and whoever fell or tripped would not only be dragged by the treadmill's belt but be choked until they were able to get back on or Andrea could run over and hit the emergency stop button.

"I'm...fucking...dying..." Henry said as his left hand slipped and he hit the belt on his side and began to get dragged as he made choking noises as the leash kept him from sliding off. He grabbed at the collar with both his paws as Andrea ran over and hit the large red button.

Henry coughed loudly and heaved as he tried removing the collar then gave up and just threw up on the side of the treadmill.

"Ew!" I let out and slipped too. I was forced on my side and rolled on the belt but quickly grabbed onto the sides of the treadmill so I wouldn't be dragged.

"Ha, you lose!" Fabian gasped.

"My ass." I said and jumped back into the belt but slipped again and was forced backwards.

The leash that held onto the collar around my neck tightened and it started to choke me as the belt began to burn my back before the leash snapped and I was thrown against the rear wall.

"Kassie!" Fabian let out as hit the emergency stop with his muzzle and turned towards me but was forced back because of the leash. He pulled on it and tried removing it with his paws but it was no use. Andrea and Henry ran over to me as I began to stand up.

"I'm fine." I let out as I coughed loudly. "Man that really sucked..." I said while standing up and walked up to Fabian, who was still trying to back up enough to snap the leash, and unhooked it.

"Are you okay?" He asked after shifting from idiot young adult to big brother mode.

"I'm okay, really." I said and stretched so my back cracked. "I didn't damage the wall, did I?" I asked as Henry coughed.

"No, it's fine. I'm more worried about your back." Andrea said.

"I'm okay, really. I got more hurt when Fabian tried bending me backwards over his knee." I replied.

"What?" Andrea asked.

"We were having fun." Fabian said quickly.

"Fun my butt. Just because they do that in wrestling doesn't mean that it won't hurt...or should be done at all..."

"Anyway... Let's get out of here." Andrea said as she pulled her keys out of her pocket. "We should probably clean up first."

Henry volenteered to pick up the vomit as it was his when my cell vibrated and I sighed when I knew that it was my ex.

"Where are you?" He asked.

"With family" I replied and went to put my phone away when it vibrated.

He replied with. "I'm sorry, want to come over?"

I sighed angrily and just put my phone away.

"Did he..." My sister began.

"Yup." I replied.

"Why haven't you blocked him yet?"

"I don't know..."

"Want us to kick his ass?" Fabian asked.

"Kinda...but not right now." I said as I walked through the doors and into the street as my cell vibrated again. I ignored it and kept walking.

"What you need, Kassie." Henry started. "Is a good man. Let me hook you up with one of my friends."

"Thanks, Henry, but I'm kinda done with being given to a guy. Especially by one of my brothers." I replied.

"Hey... Gary is a good guy...who can't keep it in his pants, but he is a good guy." Fabian replied.

"Yeah, well if he tries pulling it out in front of me again, I'm ripping it out and making him eat it."

"Ouch, wait...you guys actually...uh..."

"Slept together?" I suggested.

"Yeah..."

"Qu'en pensez-tu ?" I said and just kept walking.

He sighed. "I'm kicking his ass."

"That's on you... I don't care, anyone. Want some ice cream? I want some ice cream." I asked and turned then went into a gas station convenience store.

"Just go with it, you know she eats when she's upset." Andrea said.

I ignored both her and the cashier who checked me out as I passed by (oh yes, girls know when guys are checking her out).

The four of us got some ice cream and soda and downed it all as we sat outside.

"I still won." Fabian said.

"Yeah, only because I was distracted by Henry who was throwing up..." I replied.

"Hey, that hurt like Hell. Everything just came up." Henry replied.

"How are you, anyway?" Andrea asked.

"Okay, still sore. Why didn't my leash snap like Kassie's?"

"Because I got a girl's leash." I said.

"You mean that you got a bitches leash? Cheater." Henry replied.

I threw the rest of my ice cream at him. It hit his face and bounced off.

"What?" He asked as I stood up and began walking away. "Where are you going?"

"Home." I replied and turned the corner and kept walking.

Fabian was the first to catch up. "Listen, sorry that Henry is being such a dumbass." He said softly to me.

"It's okay." I replied.

"No, it isn't."

"Yes it is. I was done with the ice cream anyway."

"No, about him calling you the B word."

I sighed. "It's just that...he used to call me that and it just made me feel bad. Like I was always doing something wrong or not living up to his standards..."

"Listen, Kassie. You are going to make some guy really happy one day. And I am not going to be the one who introduces him to you, nor will Henry and not sure about Andrea though. But you are special."

I laughed out.

"I am serious. You're funny and cute. You are one of the guys. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

"So why haven't I met him yet?"

"You just haven't gone out enough. You stick to a routine and don't do anything different. Like the oil change dad wants you to get? You won't do it because he's telling you to try that new place that opened and not going to where you normally take the car. You also order the same stuff all the time and, quite frankly, you stay indoors. Try doing something different once in a while. Girls are allowed to hit on guys in the 21st century."

"Hmm...I'll think about it." I said as we reached the front door of our house.

It wasn't a big house, to be honest. It was large enough to have three bedrooms; my parents', the one my brothers stays in, and the one Andrea and I inhavited. It had a decent enough living room and a kitchen large enough to fit my mother, Andrea, and me at the same time.

"Salut, mama. Salut papa." I said as I walked in.

-0-

I spat out some of my long red curly hair as I lay in bed: blankets ball'd up and I crawled out. I slept in my underwear so didn't have to worry about anyone seeing anything extra, except for that time that my bra got loose, but the curtains were closed so it wasn't too bad.

I rolled over and sighed deeply then opened my eyes and saw Andrea sitting on the stool in front of our dresser mirror.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Eleven. Imma head to work, you used up the rest of the blemish, by the way." She said as she brushed her hair.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry." I said and sat up.

The door opened and we looked over to see my dad look at both of us then walk away, closing the door after him.

Andrea and I looked at each then shrugged.

"I'm gonna go get breakfast." I said while standing up and putting on a skirt and shirt.

"Mom's out so you'll have to make yourself something." Andrea replied".

"So? We're girls. I'm sure we could manage that."

I opened the door and the smoke alarm went off as my dad held a smoking pan up tried blowing at the cook top.

I sighed and held my hand out to take the pan from him.

-0-

"I miss you..." The text said from my ex as I just lay in bed and stared at it.

I sighed and deleted the text then got out of bed and went out of my room and into my brother's.

Fabian was sitting on top of Henry and bouncing up and down.

"You like that? Tell me you like that!"

"What are you guys doing?" I asked.

"Henry said that I like guy's butts so I'm sitting on him." Fabian replied.

"Your ass is so soft, ass lover!" Henry teased him.

"Uh-huh... Can I hang out with you guys? I'm kind of depressed."

"Uh oh, feelings time..." Fabian said as he got off Henry and went back to playing on his 360.

"Shut up. I'm not gonna talk to you guys about it. I just want company."

"You can talk about it if you want." Fabian said as he shot a guy in the head from across the map.

"No. I'll wait for Andrea to come home. I just don't want to be alone."

"Okay. We are here if you want to talk. Wanna play zambies? I know you do."

I smiled then got off the bed and walked over and took the other remote while Henry moved over to his bed and began browsing the internet on his phone.

"So what's wrong with you, kid?" Fabian asked me as I took control of Robert England on the zombie map.

"It's about Gary. He keeps wanting to talk. I want to talk to him but I don't want to talk to him" I replied.

"So...wait what?"

"See this is why I talk to Andrea about stuff like this. She understands."

"It's not hard to understand..." Henry said. "She wants to talk to him to hear what he has to say but she doesn't want to talk to him because she's afraid that she might want to go back to him if she does."

"Exactly." I said.

"Henry when did you start speaking Girl?" Fabian asked.

"Since both our sisters come talk to me as you're always out."

I chuckled. "That's it exactly, actually."

"Well, Kassie. Are you mad at him?" Fabian asked.

"Disappointed maybe..."

"Would you take him back?"

"Maybe... I don't know..."

"That's not an answer." Henry added. "Yes or no."

"I don't know...maybe...yes, I guess."

"Then don't take him back." Fabian replied.

"Why?"

"Because A, he's gonna know that you'll come back regardless of what he does, and B, because I don't want to talk to him anymore."

"That is true. Should I just let him explain?"

"I wouldn't." Henry relied. "I mean what's to explain? He stuck it into some random b...chick. It couldn't be more cut and dry than that..."

Fabian snorted. "Well what if she tripped and fell on his stuff... over and over again?"

"Just. Leave him alone, Kass... he knows he messed up... it's his fault, zombie... not yours."

I shot George A. Romero and he yelled before chasing me back into the water. "That sounds good. I still have to get that oil change for my car. Dad is going to kick my butt if I don't do it today..."

"Go after this game. We never get far in it anyway." Fabian said.

"Okay."

The game went on til level 54, our previous record was 22, so it took a good hour and a half until Fabian died trying to revive me.

"Damn it!" Fabian said as he put the control down.

"We got far!" I squeaked then immediately cleared my throat.

"You gonna go?" Fabian asked.

"Yeah. I guess so, where is the place dad wants me to take it?"

"That new place by City Hall. The one where those two semi's have been stolen because they leave the keys inside."

"You mean the one that used to be the only good indie book store but they closed it down? I miss that place."

"Me too." Henry said as he looked at an Japanese anime porn magazine with a sticker in the front showing that it was from the closed book store.

"I bet." I said reached over and took the magazine from him.

"Hey!" He protested.

There was a picture of a random anime girl in a husky leotard with her legs behind her head as she played with herself.

"I can do that!" I said and smiled when both my brothers made disgusted noises.

"Fabian, Henry, Kassandra ! Aider à apporter dans les épiceries !"

"Okay!" I yelled out to my mother and threw the magazine to Henry, who quickly hid it under his bed, and came to help with the groceries.

-0-

Henry came with me as we headed down to get the oil change. I always drove through this neighborhood which adds about three minutes to the drive. There was a Victorian house in the corner which was cute, but I've never seen anyone come in or out even though people did live in it. We passed by some houses with no real difference to the surrounding buildings.

I drove as it was technically my car but Henry changed the station to some indie one.

"Hey, don't tell mom about what you saw." He said after a few minutes.

"What? About your porn?" I replied while stopping for a stop sign a couple blocks down.

"Yeah. She doesn't know I have it."

"I really don't care. You guys don't tell them when I've snuck out so why would I rat you out?"

"True. Turn here."

I scoffed. "Men, always thinking they know the way."

I turned into main street and turned left, back towards home.

It took three very short indie songs later to reach the oil changed place named "Los hermanos lobos". We parked across the street and just looked at it.

"The brothers something?" I asked. Not really know what it said but I knew some Spanish. "Lobo... Maybe it's an acronym for something... Maybe it stands for Leaders of being...umm...billing...others? The brothers leading of billing others?"

"It's wolf, you damn fool." Henry said.

"The brothers wolf?"

"The wolf brothers. You change the order around when you translate it."

"So how are them Spanish classes going?" I joked.

A car pulled up next to us, a girl with pink and red hair sat in the drivers seat.

"Fabian! Didn't know you would be here! Hi Kassie." Hannah, Henry's friend (who is just begging for a boning), said while adjusting her top.

"Hey, Hannah." Henry said. "Hey, Kassie take it in and just tell them that you want a synthetic oil change." He said as he got out of the car.

"Whatever." I said and drove into the service station. A bell rang as I put it in park.

A man walked out, a minute later, as he dried his hands on a blue rag.

"Buenas tardes, señorita. ¿En que le puedo ayudar?" He asked as I walked out if the car.

"Um... I need an oil change?" I asked not knowing if that's what he asked.

"¿Cambio de aceite?" He asked. "El cambio de aceite regular le sale a treinta dólares, con todo y el filtro. Puede ahorrar dinero y le damos aceite reciclado, aún que no lo recomiendo. El aceite sintético le sale a treinta y cinco, un poco más caro pero lo vale."

"Uh..." I began and looked around. "Is there someone who speaks English...or... French?"

"French? Los franceses no valen madre. ¿En que le ayudó? What you need?"

"I need an oil change. Synthetic."

"Oil change, sintético? Está bien, ¿quieres esperar? Solo los tardamos una media hora en lo más."

"Um... Fabian!" I yelled out and looked back but he showed no signs of hearing me. I turned back to look at the man waiting for my response. "Um... Sí?"

"Okay, este bien. Préstamo las llaves y me lo llevó para que le cambien el aceite. ¿Como te llamas?"

He held his hand out so I assumed he was asking for my keys so I dropped them in his hands but he still stared at me. "I'm sorry?"

"¿Como te llamas? Who is you called?"

"Who am I called? Oh my name. Kassandra."

"¿Ominam? ¿Te llamas Ominam? ¿Ominam Kassandra?" He asked and looked at me then shrugged and began walking away and mumbled. "Que nombre más raro..."

I went to wait in the waiting room of the oil changing place. I drummed my hands on my legs as I looked around. The flat screen tv was on some Spanish soap opera which had some very happy music going on but I didn't understand anything that was said so I looked at the magazines. They were all in Spanish but one had a woman in really tight pants and shirt and holding a soccer ball so I picked it up. I tried reading a paragraph but did not understand anything. I sighed and put it away when my phone vibrated. I pulled it out and answered when my brother called me.

"Hey." I said when I answered.

"Hey. Um where are you?"

"In the waiting room."

"Are they doing the oil change?"

"Yes...I think..."

"What?"

"The guy was speaking in Spanish but he seemed to understand that I needed an oil change."

"Why didn't you ask for a guy who spoke English?"

"I did but he just went on... Where are you?"

"Um... Is it cool if you take the car home after this? Hannah is taking me out to lunch right quick."

"You gonna eat her?"

"What?"

"Nothing, go have fun. I'll be right here."

"Cool, see you at home."

"Bye." I hung up and put my phone in my pocket when it vibrated again. I pulled it out and it was from Gary.

"Miss you..." It said.

I scoffed and got half way through putting it back into my pocket when I stopped. I pulled the phone out again and looked at the words then sighed.

"Okay..." I replied.

I didn't have to wait for long before I got another message.

"I'm sorry."

"Are you?"

"Yes... I didn't mean to hurt you, Kass."

"You did."

"I'm sorry..."

"..."

"Listen I know that you don't want to talk... You've been ignoring me for three days, and I understand that. I fucked up."

"Yup..."

"Can you just come over? We don't have to do anything. I just want to apologize."

"Apologize now..."

"I'm sorry. I still went to tell you face to face."

"No..."

"Please... I promise that nothing will happen. You don't even have to say anything..."

I thought about it for about a minute then replied. "Just five minutes..."

"Perfect. When can you come over?"

"I'll come over tonight. For five minutes. I have to wait till mom and dad fall asleep."

"Perfect! I'll see you then. I'm sorry, Kass..."

I didn't reply, instead I opened a game on my phone.

"Welcome back, Bella Ross." It said on the screen so I closed it and played for a few minutes before someone spoke over the PA system.

"Señorita...uh... Como se llama?... Om-Ominam...que nombre más raro, Ominam... La clienta Ominam sí puede llegar a la estación de servicio, tenemos unas pregunta sobre su camión."

I didn't understand any of it so I just kept playing my game and waited. I looked up about half an hour later and looked around, the soap opera was replaced by the news and the lady behind the counter was talking on the phone.

I stood up and walked over to the counter. The woman said something to the other person on the other end and put the phone down but didn't hang it up.

"Excuse me, can you tell me if my car is done yet? Name is Kassandra." I said.

"¿Que dices? ¿Que quieres pagar?" She asked, also in Spanish.

"Um... Do you have someone I could talk to that speaks English...or French even. I can do French..."

"You want pay now? When car ready?" She asked.

"Car's ready? Yeah I'll pay now. How much?" I asked, happy that someone spoke some English.

"$43.57 con tax."

I handed her my Spiderman debit card and she slid it on a card reader as punched some numbers in the reader then held her hand over the receipt printer and waited for it to print.

"Can I have a receipt?" I asked.

"¿Que?"

"Receipt... proof of purchase... a receipt..."

"Yes, it recieved."

"No a receipt."

"No worries. Payment received."

I gave up. "Okay thanks."

"Want paper with amount?"

I sighed. "Yes."

She handed me the receipt and debit card back, which I put in my back pocket and walked out.

I went to find the guy that I gave my keys to and found him next to my car as they lowered it from the ramp. He turned to me and handed me my keys.

"Esperanos un minuto, Ominam. La rosca de el aceite estaba barrida y le pusimos otra. Le cambiamos el aceite pero Marcos, mi asistente, se le olvido apretarlo. Los dimos cuenta ase unos minutos pero comenco con otro cliente. Sí nos das cinco minutos acabamos y le echamos más aceite sintético para que te vallas."

"Yes. Synthetic oil. Are we good?" I asked.

"Yes, synthetic oil good, very good."

"Alright. Thank you." He smiled and walked away so I was left alone with the car and I assumed that since I had the keys that they must have been done.

So I jumped in and adjusted my mirrors again and turned it on and backed up. Fabian and his none girlfriend were gone so I just got into the road and began to take off when the man who attended me ran out, held his hands up and, what looked like, waved. So I waved back and took off.

"All in all, they were friendly." I said to no one.

I decided that I wanted to see the Victorian house again so I drove back around and though the neighborhood. My car actually turned off when I began to turn around. I gasped then turned it back on then shrugged when it made a noise but stayed on. I kept going but it struggled to keep it speeding up. It finally just gave out and I rolled in front of some houses where this guy lives with his family. He wasn't a bad looking guy and I normally passed slowly watching him and his father work on his car.

He was with some other guy as they both looked at me.

"Come on..." I pleaded and gave the car gas and tried turning the key but nothing happened.

I jumped when the guy knocked on my car window. "You're dripping oil." He said and pointed towards the front of the car. "Open your hood and don't turn it on."

I opened the window slightly. "O-okay..." I said and looked around for the lever that opened the hood. It took me a few seconds but I found and tried pushing it but nothing happened until I pulled on it.

He opened the hood and looked under it them moved underneath the car.

I turned to see the second guy as and my jaw almost dropped when I saw two bottles of oil floating behind him as he held two more in his hands.

The first guy stood back up and took the oil bottles one by one and poured them into the car. I stayed inside of the car as something nagged at me.

The first guy walked around the side so I took a deep breath, hope that he wouldn't assault me, and opened the window completely.

"Whoever changed your oil did a bad job, try turning it on." He said and wiped his hands on his pockets.

I turned to see the other guy throw the four bottles into the closed trash can, that opened on its own and knocked the bottles away. The guy sighed and gestured which made the four bottles fly up and into the trash can.

"He's a dark one..." I mumbled to myself.

"Zeke? He's a harmless freak." He said when he noticed me looking at the second guy curiously.

I have never seen anyone who can do anything out of the ordinary. Anything like my family can either.

"Whatever, doggy." The second guy said as he walked closer to the first guy.

The first guy extended his middle finger towards the second guy as I moved to turn the car on. It sputtered and shook a few times as I gave it gas before it finally turned on with a screech.

"Oh my god, thank you so much! I thought that my father was going to kick my butt for sure." I said and chuckled.

"You're welcomed." He said and tapped her side door twice.

"I owe you one!" I replied and didn't realize that I accidently sounded like I hinted something. Although if he did take the hint then I wouldn't mind getting to know him. He seemed different than all my other boyfriends.

"Well-" He started.

"Just pay it forward." The second guy said.

"O-okay, thanks again Mr..." I began and bit my lip because I didn't mean to sound so formal.

"Michael, just Michael." He said.

"Thanks Michael, I'm... Bella Ross." I actually kicked myself for using my online username instead of my real name. It was too late now though. "Now if you excuse me. I have to head home." I waved goodbye with my fingers and drove off as they waved back and I made my way down the streets as the car responded as it should.

I looked back and actually smiled. I have never met a guy who was that nice. Who would simply help me without wanting anything in return.

I shook my head and reminded myself that I would see what Gary said and worked from there... But still, he was attractive...

-0-

"So then he said: 'start the car, woman! Don't make me tell you again... I'm a man and I command it of you!'" I told Andrea, as I tried doing my manly voice.

"He didn't really say that..." She replied.

"Well no... He just told me to try turning the car on and it worked. He was a real nice guy though."

"Yes you said that...about eight times now." She said as she played on her tablet. "What was his name?"

"Michael... Just Michael... he sounds so nice..."

"Uggg!" She grunted loudly.

"What?"

"Did you, at least, ask him out?"

"What?"

"Did, that's the start of a question. You, that is a person. Ask, as in to question. Him, as in a person. Out, as if he wants to go with you to a social place."

"No, guys ask girls out. Not the other way around."

"I asked Daven out and we've been together for two years now. It's the 21st century, woman. We are allowed to do that now."

"You sound like Fabian."

"So what? It's true. Try it out. Next time you see him. Just say what I did: "hey it's me Kassandra... So I was wondering if you weren't with someone and if not do you want to do something some time? Preferably me...""

"Oh my God you did not say that!"

"Maybe...no not the last part though. But it worked. That way you're asking him out but he's still the one who makes the call."

"So I would be manipulating him?"

"For his own good. Guys like that."

"My butt they do... He really is a nice guy though."

"Yes, I know..."

Henry opened the door with his hand over his eyes. We just stared at him as he stood there.

"What do you want?" Andrea asked.

"Dad says to go to sleep." He replied.

"Why do you have your eyes covered?"

"I don't want to see Kassandra in that see-through underwear again..."

Andrea looked at me. "You have see through underwear?"

"Just the panties, and its only visible from the back and sides. It allows my junk to breath."

"I didn't want to know that..." Henry said and walked out while closing the door behind him.

"Imma go brush my teeth." Andrea said and put her tablet down, stood up and walked out.

"What was I supposed to do?" I asked myself for the hundred time since I got home... I knew that I was supposed to do something at night. I shrugged and stood up and joined my siblings in the bathroom as they all brushed their teeth.

I took my toothbrush and began brushing mine as I tried remembering what I needed to do but began thinking about Michael.

"Everyone get out I have to drain the snake." Fabian said.

"Hold it. I'm not going anywhere. I forget to put my toothbrush back if I leave the bathroom and dad yells at me" Andrea said.

"Suit yourself." He said and put his back to us then unzipped his shorts and began doing his business.

"Ew!" I exclaimed.

"Kassie, don't get jealous because I could aim and you can't." He replied as he finished and shook it twice and tucked it back in.

"You just urinated in front of your sisters..." Andrea said.

"Hey, you didn't see anything." He replied.

"I have to take a dump." Henry announced and both of us walked out quickly and went into the bathroom in my parent's room.


	15. Bonus Chapter: A Huskies Tail, Chapter 2

Bonus chapter: A Huskies Tail chapter 2

The day had a gentle breeze in the park. It was ome of those days where you just wanted to find a nice tree to sit under while you read your favorite book. Couples walked by, hand in hand, as they spoke about the day and what they could do later, kids ran around with kites or simply running around. It was the perfect day with the perfect book.

It was also the perfect day for some creep to run up and steel my purse from the ground near me.

"Hey!" I let out in a softer voice that didn't belong to me. I tried running after the guy, who took the purse that I never bought, but tripped over my heels and fell to the floor.

The man looked back and laughed as he ran off but someone held their hand out and knocked him off his feet which made him flip forward and hit the floor. My purse flew up in the air as the same hand caught it. The person walked out and towards me. It took a few seconds before I recognized Michael as the mysterious hero.

I blushed and didn't know why but I did my best to hide it as he walked over and extended his hand to help me up, which took it and let him pull me to my feet.

"Thank you, Mr..."

"Michael...just Michael..."

"How can I repay you?"

"Well..."

I opened my eyes, to my dismay, to see that I still lay in my bed in the darkness and stared up at the poster of Berlin on the ceiling.

"Just, fucking, ask me out already!" I let out, a little louder than I should.

"If you're dreaming about Michael McNiceGuy, take it to the bathroom. I won't let you sleep in my bed if yours gets wet with girl juices again..." Andrea replied as she played Fruit Ninja on her tablet.

"Shut up..." I snapped.

"Maybe you're in love..."

"Shut up..."

"Maybe your heart is telling you that he's the one and that you need to ask him out..."

"Girls don't ask guys out, Andy. Guys ask girls out."

"I'm just saying. Don't call me Andy, I'm not a guy."

"Leave me alone."

"Alright. But if I hear you groaning like that again, imma make you sleep on the couch."

"I wasn't groaning..."

"Yes you were. You also snore, by the way."

"Oh my God. I do not!"

She closed Fruit Ninja and opened the recorder program and played back a file.

"Sunday, September 9th. 3:45 am." The recording played back what Andrea whispered into the mic. The sounds of me snoring were played back. I mumbled something that sounded like "hey" and continued snoring loudly. I mumbled some more then said "Michael" before I started groaning passionately.

"And that was just tonight. Should I replay the one you had when you first met your ex?" Andrea asked while closing the recording.

"That's what I needed to do!" I gasped.

"Your ex? You were going to over? When?"

"Not for that. I was going to go over tonight to hear what he has to say. Just for five minutes."

"Kassie. Five minutes is all it takes to charm the see-through underwear from you."

"No..."

"I hope not. Even though, you're not going over there. It's too late and I will tell mom and dad about it if you leave to see him. Hell, I'll sit on you all night, if I have to."

"Thanks, Andrea..." I mumbled then rolled over. "Whatever." I said. "Goodnight, Andrea."

"Goodnight, Kassie. You're welcomed by the way."

I smiled and closed my eyes and dreamt about Michael again.

-0-

"Is he in?" I asked Maria, my coworker, while adjusting my hat and practicing my smile.

"He stepped out. Hi, welcome to Vanilla." She replied as she attended her customer.

"Good. Welcome to Vanilla, wanna hear our special?" I greeted.

It wasn't normal for me to arrive late to work, but I just had to pass by that neighborhood again. Not to see the Victorian house but to see Michael. I had woken up three times last night and each time I fell asleep, I dreamt of him. Maybe I was in love.

He wasn't out so I couldn't see him, of course, but it was still nice to try. I wore my purple and yellow Vanilla shirt and that ridiculous hat as I got behind the register and began taking orders.

I must have attended about 20 dozen orders before my lunch time arrived. I didn't get to go of course as it was packed again. So I would wait until it died out.

"Hi, welcome to Vanilla. What can I get you?" I asked two guys who came up.

"What's a frozen banana?" One guy asked.

"It's literally a frozen banana on a stick that we dip in either chocolate, vanilla, or caramel. We can add sprinkles or peanuts or even gummi bears if you want for 50 cents."

"I'll have that with chocolate, sprinkles and your number."

"One frozen banana with chocolate and sprinkles, but sorry all out of your numbers. Good try though."

They paid and walked away and I couldn't help but smile.

These two girls walked up and began to order. "Okay, can I have a brownie mint and chip caramel on top. Thanks"

"I'll just get a dipped cone."

"Alright. Dipped in chocolate right?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. That's $11.23."

Two more girls and a guy walked up. The guy was busy looking around but the girls looked at the menu for a second.

"Hi, welcome to Vanilla. How can I help you?" I asked the two girls.

"Do you put peanuts in a hot fudge Sunday?"

"We could."

"Let me get that." The first girl ordered.

"Can I just have a banana split?"

"With chocolate and strawberry?"

"Sure. I need some hips anyway."

We all chuckled before I acknowledged the guy. "And you, sir?"

He turned around and my heart skipped a beat when I recognized him. The same guy who was in all three of my dreams last night.

"A rocky road, please. Bella Ross." He said in an annoyed tone.

I noticed him looking at my name tag that read. "Original Vanilla girl: Kassie."

He practically slammed some money on the counter, which made me flinch involuntary, and walked off.

"What the Hell was that about?" One if the girls asked and looked at Michael then at me. "Did you two date?"

I looked down and quickly shook my head and handed them their change.

"Hey...um welcome to Vanilla..." I told the next customer. I felt bad so I kept looking at Michael's back as he sat facing away from me, but still in plain view.

I'm sure I messed up the next few peoples orders as my boss came over and relieved me for break about two minutes later.

I sighed deeply and walked around the counter and thought how I would apologize and actually introduce myself to him. Explain and even ask him out, since girls could do that now.

My heart beat rapidly and I finally understood why guys find it hard to ask girls out sometimes.

I stepped closer and was about to clear my throat but stopped when I heard Michael speak about me.

"No... If she's going to be a bitch about it then I don't-"... He began but stopped when the two girls coughed meaningfully.

Michael turned around and looked at me.

"I...I...I..." I began as his words sounded in my head. I begin to tear up before turning then walked away. I headed back through the counter and into the girl's restroom for the employees.

I looked at myself at the mirror as a girl was in the stool as she finished up. She pulled her pants up as I pretended to examine my face.

The girl came out and washed her hands then looked at me.

"Tough day, Kass?" She asked.

I quickly nodded and she took the hint and walked out before I sniffed and begin crying loudly and ran into the stool to throw up.

"Why the fuck did I tell him that my name was Bella Ross? You're fucking stupid, Kassandra! You're an idiot. You might as well have told him that your name was Retard McStupidbitch the 3rd, it would have still been a lie but it would have been accurate. You're such an idiot!" I let out and threw up again. "You finally meet a really good guy, who doesn't Imidiately want to get you into bed and you fuck up bad... You're going to die lonely. Might as well just go back to Gary. Yeah he cheated on you but at least he doesn't think you're a liar... He just thinks that you're the stupidist thing in existence, which you are. You don't deserve any better..." I cried and just sat there for a few minutes. I began to get up and just threw up again. I cried for a few more minutes until someone came in.

"Kassie?" My guy manager asked.

I didn't respond for a few seconds and just hoped he would go away.

"Kassie, I know you're in here. I heard you crying. If you don't answer, I'll come in to get you."

"I'm okay. Really." I said.

"No, you're not. I'm coming in."

"This is the girl's rest room." I reminded him.

"I was probably a girl in my past life. Plus if you won't come out then I'll come in."

"I don't want to talk..." I told him.

"Yeah you do. I know you, Kassie. I've known you since high school. Want to come into my office?"

"Maybe..."

"Come on. Come into my office."

I walked out of the stool and looked down as he held my hand while taking me down the empty hall and into his office.

"Okay, Kass. What the Hell is wrong with you?" He asked, trying for a light tone.

I didn't reply, instead I just sat there quietly and regretted joining him.

"Is it about a boy?"

I nodded.

"Ok..." He began then stood up and walked over to the corner and poured some black coffee into a red plastic cup. "Coffee and snacks makes it all better."

He places the plastic cup along side some sugar, Hersheys creamer in little plastic containers, and five cookies in front of me.

Shaking the sugar packets helped a little and chewing on the cookies made me stop sniffing.

I slowly explained how Michael helped me out and how I felt and what Michael said.

He simply listened and didn't say anything until I was done.

"Sounds like you like this guy. Do you know if he likes you back?" He asked.

"I don't know..."

"How long have you know him?"

"Day or two..."

He stared at me.

"I know it's dumb. Normally I wouldn't care this much." I said.

"It's not dumb. Um, when Penny and I first met: she hit my car. She swore up and down that it was my fault and I yelled at her to stop lying. We got so mad at each other, even more than what it sounds that he's mad at you, and we were two seconds away from fist fighting, she probably could have taken me though. We called each other every name under the sun plus some we both made up. I swear that if people weren't around I would have broken her neck, throw her body into the trunk, cut it up, and feed it to my dogs. Although, in retrospect, she was probably thinking something similar "

I looked at him in horror, and began to wonder how fast I could get to the door.

"My point being is that we got so angry at each other that we both said all sorts of crazy things and we're together today with two beautiful girls."

He pointed at a picture of his wife with two very cute brunette girls in sun dresses. Everyone was smiling and waving. He walked over to the picture and pulled it off the wall and looked fondly at it.

"She is one tough hellcat... She is nice and all but when she's angry. Oh lord. She gets vicious and loud, I have had to sleep on the couch... at my friends house... because I get scared of her when she is angry, especially when she's on her...um... Anyway, my point being: people can get all crazy angry at each other and everything turned out fine. Do you want to know why?"

"Because you talked it out?" I contributed.

"Yes, well kind of. I mean she broke into my apartment and jumped on me while I was in my bed. She apologized and explained."

"That is crazy..."

"Oh yeah. I was terrified. I thought I was going to end up a skin jacket, hanging in her closet. I thought she would stab me with something if I even said anything so I just kept quiet while she explained. She left that night after I quote unquote forgave her but I kept running into her; on the street at first, then at restaurants, theaters, parks, restrooms. She was everywhere. Then on my 27th birthday, I moved here."

"Where did that happen? You crashing into your wife?"

"Illinois."

"Why did you go back for her?"

"I didn't... I moved out three weeks before my 27 birthday. I received a small 12x12 package in the mail. It was wrapped in red paper, red is my favorite color by the way, and it had to be wheeled in by a guy and his hand truck. It was a heavy package and it took both of us to lift it into my countertop. I signed for it and the guy left so I decided to open it but I got a phone call. It was my neighbor who was wondering why I was late for his birthday party. So I ran out of the house, forgetting all about the package until I came home around two am, drunk out of my ass, but sober enough to remember what the package contained."

"What did it contain?"

He smiled and placed the picture on his desk and turned it so the picture of his wife and two daughters was facing me.

"Huh, wait what?"

"She had learned how to stuff herself into a small package and shipped herself across the US through rush delivery. She spent two and a half days inside of that small box as she delivered herself to me. I tell you, nothing sobers you up quite like helping a folded woman out of a tiny box."

He pointed towards the back of his office towards a clear 12x12 box that was being used to hold some pictures up.

"How did she fit into that thing?" I asked.

"I don't know. But trust me, every inch of that box was used up."

"So what did you do when you saw her in that?"

"Well the first thing that went through my mind was 'what is wrong with you?' but then I decided to help her out. She explained why she did what she did. She isn't bipolar, if you're thinking that. She just goes crazy some times."

"Okay... So why did you marry her."

"We all find something that we like about the person we love. We look for that, even if we don't know what it is. For me it was knowing that she cared for me so much that she would do that. For her it was the fact that I didn't cave into her yelling and threatening. If you find something in the person you like then that isn't bad. Nobody else has to understand what you see in that person, either. Sometimes you just have to be the one who makes the first move. Do something intense, something that the other person will remember you for."

"So I should stuff myself in something small and have myself delivered to him, like a present? I'm sorry but your wife is like half my size."

"No, not that extreme... But something. Make him remember you. For most guys it's just knowing that the girl is willing to go to the guy to say that she is sorry. Do you know where he lives?"

"Yes."

"Go there and apologize. Try something sane first. I don't want you calling in one day saying that you're stuck in something or anything like that."

"What if I dip myself in chocolate and have my sister deliver me to him?" I joked. "Everyone loves chocolate. Especially with a red-headed French girl center."

"Didn't know that you were so kinky, Kassandra."

"You have no idea..." I said.

"Get back to work before I put you in a box or dip you in something, lord knows we have enough caramel."

I laughed and walked out. I felt a lot better actually. Just talking to my boss always cheered me up. He has the most lateral ideas sometimes.

I walked out and made sure to have dried my tears then felt something hit my back. I turned and saw my boss holding a pen. He threw it at me. "Smile, I get complements from customers because of your pretty smile."

I chuckled. "Some would say that you're hitting on me, boss."

"Nah. I just want to be able to dip someone into something one day." He replied and went back into his office.

I stepped just outside of the opening that led into the main room with the customers and smiled widely and, for once, was happy that I didn't wear make up.


	16. Bonus Chapter: A Husky Tail, Capter 3

Chapter 3

"They're going to sleep..." Andrea whispered through the bathroom door as I was putting on some new clothing.

I decided to go see Michael that night. Not only because I was going to take everyone's advice and just go see him but because there was some reports of someone, probably another fils de l'obscurité, hurting people there. The last thing I wanted was for him to get hurt. Plus if it was another fils then he wouldn't be able to fight it off. I don't know if I could but I would try.

"Thanks." I whispered then yelled goodnight to my parents while lifting my hair from my shirt then shook myself for about a second and grinned at the awkward possition that my hair fell into, around my face.

I was going to wait about half an hour then sneak out through the window and run the twelve blocks to his house and just scope it out for a few hours. If I get the chance then I'll talk to him.

'What if he sees you in your dog form? How will you explain that'? I thought. 'Maybe you could offer to be his pet... guys need a loyal guard dog. Not only that, you could call him "Master".'

I contemplated that. Didn't even think about it before actually. Thought about a him "liking doggy style" but put that thought away... classy, this one is. I shrugged the thought and just finished getting dressed and walked out into the hallway which was decorated with pictures of us of years passed.

The house was typical of any house in the area. The front door faced south with a living and kitchen combination with only a bar wall deviding the two. The kitchen was fairly small and was bare able to hold two us the three females in the house while only one male could fit through. The cabinets were made of wood with no color added, other than the stainless steel handles on thr doors and drawers. The appliences were all black with the exception of the space saver microwave over the stove which was white, since the original one almost burned the house down after my dad accidently left his fork in the same plate with a burrito that was still covered in the aluminum foil. The single light in the kitches was labeled "ta-ta" light since it looked like a woman's breast, or so my dad said. It was an unintentional design since it is half a sphere with a twist bottom to clean out any bugs that might get trapped in there.

The kitched led into a hall that let to the utility room, master bedroom, and to an adjacent hall. The utility room was fairly small but it held a stack washer/dryer combo a folding table and the walled off space for the water heater. Then finally the exterior door.

The master bedroom was my parent's room. My ma was the one who furnished that room and she was really frenchy in that aspect. Pictures of La Tour Eiffel and Les Misérables hung on one side with some cappuccino desk lamps on the nightstands, pushed up agains the eastern wall on either side of the queen bed.

The adjacent hall led to the the hall bath, which my sister, brothers and I shared. The cabinet was full with anything from female hygiene products to shaving cream to razers to lotions. Only a shower was present with rubber ducky shower curtains. A mostly clean toilet, color black, was in between the shower and sink, which was also black on a black countertop and wood cabinet.

My brother's room was on the north-western side of the house and their room was little more than two twin beds, a tall drawer cab and anime posters of female characters.

The last room, on the south west, was the space I shared with my sister. Since the house originally had only two rooms and a den, my dad decided that us girls need the closet space more than the guys. Good thing too because all of our clothes wouldnt just fit on the general floor.

My dad passed by smiling at me then stopped and paced back and squinted at my hair. He slowly reached over and pulled a single hair out.

"Ow... papa?"

He held out a single red hair that was starting to turn gray at the root.

" Ta mère me dire que les cheveux gris sont de la malchance. "

" Oh non... mais je suis trop jeune pour avoir des cheveux gris ... "

" J'ai eu mon premier quand j'avais 22 ans. "

I pouted and stared at the wretched thing.

" Bonne nuit, 'Sandra. "

" Bonne nuit, papa. " I hugged him before going into my room and looking at the gray hair again.

"It's 9:12." Andrea began. "You almost... what's wrong?"

I simply held the hair in front of her as a reply.

"Is that from your head?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh no... mom says not to pull them out because more will pop out... they're like a plague... I got one too, look." She pointed at her left temple.

A barely noticable gray hair stood there in the middle of short black hair.

"I'd better find a man, before I get full gray hair and need dentures."

"There's another gray hair..."

"No way!" I snapped and moved to the mirror and examined my head.

"There." Andrea pointed at a my right eyebrow, where a thin hair stood out.

"You could get them there too?" I asked and plucked it with my nails.

"You could get them everywhere; your head, eye brows, legs... down there."

"Great... standards lowered..."

"Shut up... be careful Okay..." Andrea said.

"I will. I'll just have a look around. I'll be a ninja. In and out before anyone notices." I replied while adjusting my hair to pass the time, paying close attention to any color differences.

"You're not gonna wear that, are you?"

"What's wrong with this? It's cute..."

"Kassandra, you're a dog. Dogs don't wear clothing. What happens when someone sees you in the street? It's not that deserted at night anymore."

"So what do you suggest? I go out naked?" I asked.

She slowly nodded while making different expressions with her face.

"No!" I let out then covered my mouth. "I am not going out there naked..."

"You won't be naked. You'll have your dog fur on. Not only that but everyone will think you're just another stray. But you'll draw attention if people see a dog running around town with a tank top and a yoga pants. Just stick to running on all fours and you'll be fine."

I thought about it for a second. I mean I didn't plan on anyone seeing me. Plus I have been practicing to be able to cover my holes by the fur. It took a little more concentration but it was doable. Plus the last thing I need is to attract attention.

I began to remove my tank top slowly but stopped when Andrea held her hands towards me so she wouldn't see anything.

"Not now, weirdo." She said. "When you're about to leave. Change before you undress."

I looked at the clock; it was 9:28 so I decided to just leave so I changed onto my husky form. All except my face. Technically, my animal instincts wouldn't kick in until I was fully transformed but this was enough to get me started. I concentrated on my form and extra dog fur appeared to covered my nipples, crotch and rear end before I removed my tank top, pants, and panties.

"It looks like you're wearing a body suit." Andrea said and scratched my belly.

My leg shook slightly and we both giggled before we said our goodbyes.

I began to climb out the window when Andrea stopped me.

"Aren't you gonna take your glasses? In case you do see Michael? Remember that you're blind without them..." She nagged.

"Yes mother... Where am I gonna keep them?" I asked as I put them on, they didn't fit correctly when I shifted my face, then dropped to all four and shook quickly, dropping the glasses to the carpet, then stopped when Andrea mounted my back and sat there. "What are you..."

She hushed me and held her phone in front of her while she shifted to lay forward on me. The flash made me blink but my eyes were opened for the picture.

"What are you doing?" I asked her while pacing in place. She wasn't really all that heavy, and my dog form let me hold her up with no issue.

"Memories. What if... You know...stuff works out between you two? Memories. Hold still." She lowered onto my back again and wrapped my collar around my neck.

I went through a goth like stage when I was 15 and 16 so I bought a thin dog collar that I would wear. It had studs with fake spikes. I kept it around because it was cute, but I didn't really use it.

She fastened it around my neck and made sure it fit loose enough for me to not choke but tight enough that it wouldn't get caught on something. She then lifted my glasses and hooked them on my collar.

The door opened and we both turned and saw Fabian staring at us for about a second before turning and walking back out.

We both giggled, the sound coming out oddly from me, before she dismounted me. "Go make me an aunt, Ms. Grayhairs." She slapped my ass and went to sit in her bed.

I stuck my tongue out at her and ran on all fours then jumped out the window. I landed, on all fours, outside of the house and looked around. Nobody was around so I stretched like a dog.

"Cute!" Andrea said as she leaned out the window.

I stared at her then forward and ran off onto the street. I immediately ran into my ex who jumped out of my way as he walked to my house. I stopped and jumped at him. He screamed like a girl as I knocked him down, ripped his pocket open with my teeth, pulled out his cell phone and ran across the street and jumped the blue fence and into the neighbor's back yard. Their dog looked at me them began barking and ran after me as I ran through the yard and over the other end of the fence.

There was some alleyways behind the houses so I quickly dug a small hole then dropped the phone in it after removing the battery and burying it again. I knew that Gary still had the pictures I sent him, some of which weren't for children eyes, so I would delete them so I wouldn't find them on the internet later.

Gary was yelling off into the distance as he looked for me, so I kept running and jumped over a fance and into a familiar back yard then flinched when I landed into a few yards later as about 30 people who stared at me. I stared back as I shifted on all fours. They had been throwing a birthday party. I slowly walked forward and people quietly moved out of my way. A little girl walked over to pet me as I smiled at her. Jasmine was a really cute girl and she always behaved when I babysat her. Today was her 6th birthday. She giggled as I licked her face, and I didn't even hesitate to eat the half eaten hamburger she offered me, as I missed lunch. Her mother came over and lifted her away from me. Jasmine waved at me and I lifted my paw and waved back before running forward and jumping the fence on my way out.

It took about 20 minutes of running and fast paced walking before I stood on the other side of the street of Michael's house.

I sat there, on all fours, and began having second thoughts when a older couple walked passed. They smiled at me and I just looked back as the man petted my head and praised me before they continued walking.

"Well, Kassie..." I whispered. "You're here... Just begin by looking around. You just want to make sure he's safe...why are you talking to yourself? I'm not... Lying to yourself isn't helping. Shut up. Really? Whatever."

I sighed then looked both ways before walking across the street and looking through the fence at his empty back yard. I circled the house twice, deciding that it was clear. But I wanted to make sure. The house wasn't massive but it seemed to have about three to four rooms. Maybe Michael had a brother or sister... maybe that guy he was with was his brother... or maybe the girls he came into the store were his sisters... or was one of them his girlfriend. What if he's not single... then all this is in vain.

"He could still have use for a dog though. You're talking to yourself again. Shut up."

The sound a sliding glass door opening startled me so I ducked low, behind the fence, as someone walked out, but was hidden on the other side of the fence so I got closer to the wooden gate and looked through the opening to see someone standing behind the big tree while a cute husky puppy sniffed around.

I wanted a better view so I crept over to his neighbor's house and climbed the ladder, that was placed there for some reason, and hid behind the chimney before I dared myself to look.

I didn't see anyone. Instead I saw a large and muscular brown dog standing on two legs as he urinated. I gasped and turned back quickly since I saw more than I needed to from where I hid. I felt myself blush, although my dog cheeks didn't show.

"Who's there?" The brown dog asked in a deep and lengthy voice.

I closed my eyes and clinched my teeth together then sighed as his dog kept barking.

"I'm just looking for someone." I replied as clear as I could.

"Well that person isn't here, go away."

I thought about that. What if this dog is the thing that has hurt the other people here, the paramedics. What if...what if he was here to hurt Michael and his family?! I had to do something.

"I see. You must be the dark one that is terrorizing this neighborhood." I said as I looked to see that the roof to Michael's house was a short leap away.

"What are you talking about?" The dog asked.

"I saw it in the news just now. You're the one who's hurt those people! I won't let you hurt the nice family that lives here!" I replied and walked, on all fours, lower onto the roof as quietly as I could and jumped off the roof and onto the other and held my breath. It looked like he didn't hear me so I crept closer to where I could see him better.

I positioned myself to pounce on him from the roof top. He had at least 100 pounds, and another foot, on me between muscle and size.

He looked strong enough to bend me like a pretzel but maybe if I cought him by surprise I would be able to hold him down.

I jumped and he turned just as I landed on him. He hit the floor and I smiled but let it fade quickly but kept all of my 138 pounds on him. He threw me off a few second later, when I stared into his eyes. I landed on my side them felt him get on top of me and place his hands on my chest and grab my breasts.

I cried out and folded my legs until my knees touched my midsection and I was able to use my legs to throw him off.

I rolled over onto all fours and looked at him as he did the same. "You're a girl..." He pointed out.

I stepped sideways and got a good look at him. He was completely brown except for the silver eyes. His paws had black at the bottom and even his nose was partly brown. He looked muscular and could probably subdue me with absolutely no issues.

"Your point being?" I asked him.

He raised an eye brow and I jumped at him. If I could knock him down, I could probably do something. It seemed like a good plan and it might have worked if I wasn't tackled in mid air and knocked to the side.

I rolled a few times and finally landed on my feet then turned to look at a second brown dog who stood on all fours. Her ears were just coming out of her head as her tail finished coming. She looked familiar but I didn't know who she was maybe she was a customer at work... She growled at me and showed me her sharp canines. Her fur only covered the vital parts of her body and left most of the legs, midsection, chest, arms and back open.

My dog instincts took over and I barked back at her a few times.

"Helena..." The male let out.

"Take Jeremy inside, I've got this." Helena, the female dog person, said.

"I'm not going anywhere." He replied.

The girl never took her eyes off me as she paced on her paws."See, he won't hurt you because you're a girl." Helena started as she crept to the side. "But I've been meaning to let off some steam." She licked the tip of her muzzle and grinned slightly.

"You're a dog too? What breed?" I asked as I moved slightly to the left. Keeping my elbows wide, in case I needed to jump out of the way.

"Breed? I'm a werewolf, you stupid bitch!" She snaped.

I twitched slightly. "That's twice that I've been called that today." I jumped at her but missed as she got out of the way.

She dodged me, everytime I went after her I prepared to jump at her again when she rushed forward and tackled me. I hit the floor and began to get up when she got on top of me and bit my right arm.

I cried out at the pain which made her let go and push me, which made me fall easily as I had little balance with one arm.

"Michael, go inside and tell dad." She said as she jumped on my back again. I felt a sharp pain as she pulled my injured arm back. I gasped out in pain and arched my back to relieve the pain but the girl pulled on my collar, which made me choke.

I gasped and wheezed then let out. "Get off me you bitc- wait... Michael?" I coughed out then looked at the brown, two legged, dog. I cleared my throat and tried swallowing my own saliva. "It's me, Kassandra! Ow stop that, I still need that arm!"

Michael cocked his head and looked at me. "Kassandra? Bella Ross, Kassandra?" He asked while looking at me then gestured at the girl on my back.

I smiled sheepishly and began shifting back as the girl loosened her grip on me. My transformation to human was always interesting as my hair shifted from my head and changed to gray as it moved to my back and arms to create the husky fur. My fur disappeared into my body, all except for my crotch and breasts, which I kept so I wouldn't be naked.

"Ice cream girl?" The girl asked and let go of my arm and collar.

I gasped quietly and panted as I could see straight again.

"What- I mean why... What are you doing here?" Michael asked as he slowly moved closer.

I took a deep breath then let it out, which is harder to do when you have a dog girl on your back.

"I wanted to say that I was sorry for lying to you about the Bella Ross thing. Can you tell her to get off me; I really don't like being a chair." I said. I didn't mean it as I kinda did get off on this kind of thing, but now wasn't the time.

"Sorry." The girl said and got off me.

"Thanks." I said and tried standing up but fell back down as my arm couldn't support me.

"Are you okay?" The girl asked me.

"Yeah... No... My arm hurts like Hell... I think you might have tore something." I replied and lay there.

The girl bit the side of her muzzle nervously. And held her hands behind her while shifting left and right.

"Hold up..." Michael said and walked over. He bent down and picked me up, matrimonial style.

"Whoah..." I let out as he lifted me, I wrapped my good arm around his neck and as he carried me in.

"Mom, dad, I got us a new pet!" Michael let out, and I chuckled.

"What?" A woman asked. I assumed it was his mother. "On, no you're not bringing another filthy...animal..."

She was a thin woman, scrawny even. Blond hair and alert face. She stared at me in shock then confusion. As Michael let me down onto a chair.

"Who's that?" The woman asked.

"Michael's new pet." A man answered. He was a light man with long curly hair and relaxed face. Looked no older than 32. "You will have to bath her so she don't have any infections..."

"Jonathan, quit fooling around. Michael, who is this girl?" The woman asked.

Michael explained who I was and what I was doing here. I let him do the explaining because he knew how to talk to his mother more than I did.

His mother sighed deeply and walked away for a few minutes and began to pull out some cotton swabs and alcohol. "You dogs are going to make me have a heart attack or something!" His mother complained but began healing my arm. She put some alcohol on the bite and I gasped as I wasn't expecting it to sting.

"Kassandra, I am so sorry." Helena, Michael's sister, said as she held the items their mother needed.

"It's okay; I was the one attacking you." I replied and gasped when their mother forced more alcohol in my bite.

"Another thing, I don't appreciate you attacking my children." The mother said. She never looked up at me.

"I'm sorry Mrs.-" I began and remembered that I didn't know Michael's last name.

"Talbain, Christine Talbain." She snapped as she wrapped a bandage around my wound.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Michael asked.

"Well... I felt really bad about lying to you after you helped me out. You're one of the nicest guys I've ever seen and I just felt bad so I decided to come over and say I'm sorry." I blabbed. I tended to do that when I was nervous. "My parents were watching the news earlier and they said that something attacked people around here and I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Awe..." Michael's sister let out.

I smiled at his sister than to Michael. "So I guess you were right, Michael. I am a bitch." I said with a smile then let my husky tail and ears pop out.

I immediately regretted saying that as Mrs. Talbain glared at me. I smiled back sheepishly and stood up straighter.

Mr. Talbain walked up, while eating some chocolate. "Let's let them talk, Michael we're still too young..." He said and took his wife's hand and pulled her away slowly while putting a chocolate piece in her month when she began to protest.

"I'm staying." Michael's sister announced.

Mr. Talbain used his free hand to grab his daughter's tail and pull her away, while she complained.

'Okay, Kassie... Here you go...' I thought and stared at Michael as he watched his family go.

"Listen, sorry about-" He began and I just leaped forward and kissed him. I pressed my lips up against the lips of his muzzle and didn't let go, even though he let out a small surprised sound. It wasn't my first kiss, but it was the first one I enjoyed, even if she was doing all the work.

"No, listen. I'm sorry that I lied." I began when I pulled away. "Well technically, Bella Ross is the name I use on the Internet so, I only half lied."

"Then I'm only half mad." He replied and adjusted my glasses, that had been lower than they should have been, which made me chuckle. I was so nervous. "I'm sorry for calling you the b-word."

"I deserved it..." I replied, I honestly did. I remembered that I had a small tag on my collar with my information on it. Technically it was for someone to find a stray's contact information, but the heart shape was pretty cute. I handed the tag to him and moved my hands behind my back and shifted left and right as he read it. "My real name is Kassandra Anna-Marie Josèphe. I'm 19, my mother and father are French and yes this is my real hair color. Even If I dye it a different color, it would um... Revert whenever I changed. Me and my brothers are husky fils de l'obscurité, like my mother and her mother." I stopped because I knew I was babbling again.

"I'm Michael Jeffrey Talbain, 18. My father is part English. I'm a werewolf Darkstalker just like my father and his father. But sorry I don't have a name tag to give you."

'He's younger than me?' I thought and chuckled. "Then in that case: kiss and we'll call it even."

He smiled, which was adorable on his wolf muzzle, and leaned forward awkwardly and kissed me. I barely noticed his sister giggling in the background.

-0-

"Oh my God he is adorable! I don't think he has ever kissed a girl, or maybe it was because he was in his fils form. Ooh what if he hasn't, that would be so cute! And he's younger than me, just by a year, I've never been with anyone younger than me and he's so nice, have I told you he's nice?" I blabbed as my brothers and sister sat around the outdoor table and stirred their drinks slowly.

"We know..." All three of them said at the same time.

"So how long are you grounded?" Andrea asked me.

"A month..." I sighed and drank my shake as Henry stood up.

"And how are you gonna see Mr. Nice Guy?"

"Don't know...Talbain, his name is Jonathan Jeffrey Talbain. Ooh that means that imma be Mrs. Jonathan Jeffrey Talbain!" I squealed.

I felt someone spray me in the face with water, which made me flinch.

"Down, girl." Henry said as he held a spray bottle in front of me.

"Hey, sto-" I began but stopped when he sprayed me again. I stared at him for a second then opened my mouth so he sprayed me again. "Quit it!" He sprayed me again so I reached up and took it from him and put it on the far side of the table. "I'm all wet now..."

"I know, that's the problem..." Fabian replied.

"What? Oh shut up." I replied.

"You walked into that one Kass." Andrea laughed.

"Shut up." I replied then got sprayed again by Henry. "Where do you keep getting those?"

-0-

"Sorry I'm not able to hang out." I told Michael over the Skype call at night as I lay in my bed with my desk side lamp on as Andrea had her earphones on and played Fruit Ninja while pretending to not be listening.

"That's alright, Kassie." He replied as he jumped at his bed. "How many days until you're not grounded?"

"27... This is going to be a long month. So what do you like in a girl?"

He smiled and began to answer when someone called for him. "Hold on..." He said and took off his earphones then walked away. I heard the door open and close.

"It's too early to be so clingy, Ms. Clingy." Andrea said.

"I am not being clingy." I replied.

"Yes you are..." Fabian replied as he walked down the hall.

"Shut up!"

"You need to give him his space. Let him breath. You want for him to want to see you." Andrea continued. "Bet you even text him after he said goodnight."

"...Maybe..." I said and heard talking in the distance, a female voice that didn't belong to his mother or sister so I was immediately suspicious but reminded myself that I wouldn't be jealous.

I tried listening as my sister swore once in a while as she lost in the game. I began to get worried since he didn't come back and wondered how long it would take me to go over and check if he was okay.

"He's not coming back... I should go check if he's okay..." I said.

"Kassandra...really?" Andrea asked me.

"What?"

"It's been about 45 seconds. Let the man do what he does. Quit smothering him. Guys hate that." Andrea said.

"It's been longer than that, Andrea. What if he's hurt..."

"It's been about a minute now. Plus isn't he like twice your size and pretty strong looking? I'm sure he could handle wathever comes his way. Maybe family came over."

"No, something tells me that he's in trouble."

The sound of footsteps getting closer filled the speaker until the door opened and Michael jumped back onto the bed, which made his sister's phone drop. He didn't have a smart phone or a laptop so his sister let him borrow her phone until he could buy one.

"Shit..." He mumbled as he picked the phone up and began to lay back down. "Hello?"

"Hey, is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, my aunt and uncle came over."

I glanced at Andrea who smiled meaningfully at her tablet them looked back at Michael.

"That's cool. So what are you gonna do tomorrow?" I asked him.

"Well after I go over to meet your parents, I promised my sister and cousin that I'll take them to watch that zombie alien movie or whatever."

"I heard that movie sucked..."

"Did it?... Hmm..."

"Why do you want to go see it."

"It's because of my sister. She's feeling down because her boyfriend dumped her."

"Ouch, I know what that's like. Is she gonna be okay?" I replied.

"Yeah she'll be fine. She just really cared for this guy and there's something wrong with him... Mentally... I'm making him out to be a psycho but he isn't..."

"What did he do?"

"Remember that person on the news that hurt those people near my home?"

"Yes."

"That was him"

"What?"

"It was like something was controlling him and made him do it though."

"Like a demon?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"You look sleepy."

"A little, my dad and I spent most of the day hiding from my mother and sister."

"Scary. Yeah my father and brothers stay away from us too sometimes."

His door opened slowly and another girl looked in. She had a pretty and round face, almond eyes and absolutely no make up. Her black hair was in a ponytail while her round glasses made her head look small.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Who's who?" He asked and looked back.

The girl waved at him slightly and smiled as Michael smiled back.

"I didn't know you were coming." Michael said.

"Why wouldn't I? I thought we could hang out. Who are you talking to?"

"Kassandra."

"Your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Seriously? When did that happen?"

I blushed slightly, not even sure why.

"I thought Helena was messing with me."

Michael moved the phone so I could see the girl clearly. She waved at me and I waved back.

"I'll come back." She said and walked out.

"Who was that?" I asked again as Andrea roled her eyes.

"That's my cousin. I didn't think she came too. I knew my uncle and aunt did."

Two guys peeked in a few seconds later. Both had tan skin and black hair, like the girl, but no glasses.

"You have company." I told him.

Michael cocked his head then turned to look at the guys and quickly greeted them.

"You should let him go, so he could be with his fam-i-ly..." Andrea sung lowly and I looked at her.

I sighed. "You should hang out with your family." I said and gritted my teeth slightly.

"I probably should. They don't come around too often. I'll see you tomorrow, Kassie."

I smiled and waved at him.

He chuckled. "Later, Kassie."

He hung up the call and I grunted slightly and began to type my message to him.

Andrea immediately took my phone from me.

"Hey!" I let out.

"Don't smother him! Let him have his space and watch him come to you. You're always the one calling him right?" She asked.

"Yeah, so what? Give me my phone."

"No! Give him a bit. You don't just go all out."

"Zut alors !" I let out and jumped at my sister who held my phone further. "I'm serious, Andrea. Give me my phone!"

"No!" She let out and pulled my hair so I would flinch back.

"Quit it!" I let out. We struggled for a while until I finally just gave up and stormed out of the room and into my brother's.

"What did she do now? I could hear you two cat fighting from here." Henry asked as he threw a small rubber ball at the wall and had it bounce back.

"She took my phone and won't give it back."

"So, kick her ass."

"She's stronger than me..."

"Well you're not getting us to help. Last time we tried triple teaming her, Fabian and I wound up with our hands tied together, with your hair. Remember that."

"That hurt... Mom had to cut my hair to untie me from you guys. We could take her, this time, though."

"Nah." Began Henry. "We might end up like the human centipede."

"Never saw that..."

"Good, it will scar you." Fabian replied as he moved to lay on his bed. "She is freakishly strong, so don't mess with her."

I stood up and walked out then back into my room where Andrea continued playing Fruit Ninja. I took her tablet and held it up and away from her.

"Oh Hell no..." She said as her game ended.

Ten minutes later I had my feet and hands tied to the sides of her bed as Andrea changed to her jammies and lay on top of me as she continued playing her game. I tried yelling but the sock in my month prevented that from happening.

"You make one uneven bed, Kassie..." She said and continued playing her game while on top of me. "Taking my tablet. I'll show you to take my tablet..." She bounced a little which made me sink slightly into her memory foam mattress.

-0-

I awoke with Andrea still on top of me as my cell phone vibrated on her night stand. I tried groaning out and reaching for it but it only made Andrea sigh and shift. She was a sound sleeper which was bad because she had been sleeping on my right breast all night. I'll be pissed if it went down in size. What family does this kind of stuff. She was freakishly strong though.

She sighed and stood up, making sure to sit on my midsection for a bit while she stretched.

"What did we learn?" She asked as she turned to look at me then lifted her legs and folded them so she was sitting on me completely.

I mumbled something that sounded like: "don't ever take your tablet."

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you address me as as mistress... Don't do what to the mistress' table?"

I sighed and mumbled: "don't take the mistress' tablet."

She smiled and patted my side. "Good girl. Now since you don't work until twelve. Be a good bed and chill there for a bit as I go grab breakfast." She said and stood up. She walked towards the door then heard my cell vibrate and turned around. "You probably want this." She said and tossed my phone onto my midsection as it vibrated with a call.

I squirmed and groaned as she covered me with her blanket and walked out.


End file.
